One Thousand Faces
by Alan Quicksilver
Summary: As Naruto turns 9 years old, a traveler enters the Leaf Village and encounters the young academy student. One random act of kindness will give Naruto a chance to learn a skill that will change his destiny. Watch as the shinobi world forever changes, and our young hero begins a journey that will put him in the space behind one thousand faces. Starts pre-series. Eventual NaruHina.
1. Kindred

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter One: Kindred**_

Uzumaki Naruto stared up at the Sandaime in awe. In the man's wrinkled hand were three spare keys to Naruto's apartment. "You're giving me these jiji?" The Sandaime nodded with a kind smile at the child.

"It is your ninth birthday Naruto and it is your second year at the academy." He gently placed the keys in the boy's hand and held them there. "You are on your way to being a ninja and can take care of yourself now. This is my present to you." He held back a snort and kept his face straight as he could. It was also his gift to the the many caretakers that had been watching Naruto since he was a baby. He watched as Naruto's little face lit up with glee. He pocketed the keys straight away. Sarutobi also pulled a small envelope from the folds of his robe and handed it to Naruto as well.

"What's this jiji?" Naruto examined it carefully to find it full of ryo. "My stipend for this month came last week."

The Sandaime smiled once again. "Consider it another present from me. Go enjoy yourself today and have a happy birthday." Naruto jumped with a shout of joy and ran off towards the market where his favorite place in the entire village was – Ichiraku Ramen. Hiruzen watched him until he rounded a corner before he turned north and walked back to the administrative tower. As he walked he sighed and noted the ANBU guard that was following him as usual. He muttered under his breath, "Forgive me Minato. I can't control the actions of the citizens on that day, but at least I can make your son's birthday a little happier." From there he resigned himself to another day of paperwork and doling out missions to genin.

Naruto was running full tilt through the streets, getting all manner of shouts and threats from the surrounding citizenry, but he couldn't hear them over his own laughter and the feeling of joy that filled him. He could finally live on his own without those stupid caretakers watching his every move and telling him what to do. With a soaring cry of "FREEDOM!" he turned the final corner and dashed under the flaps into his favorite dining stall, hopped up on one of the stools and proceeded to count his birthday money. Teuchi came over to greet him and watched Naruto separate the paper notes into five neat and ordered stacks.

"What's going on Naruto?" Teuchi asked.

"It's my birthday today Teuchi-jisan!" Naruto beamed up at him as he finished sorting the money. "I got the spare keys to my place and enough money for five bowls of ramen to celebrate."

"Ah!" Teuchi grinned back at him as he started to prepare the first bowl, "I see. So how old are you today Naruto?"

"I'm nine years old today," he said. "Old man Hokage says I'm old enough to live on my own now and this is the first year that I can attempt to graduate from the academy."

"Really?" Teuchi had an eyebrow quirked up as he handed Naruto his first bowl. "Children can graduate from the academy that early?" Naruto had already dug into his bowl with a loud 'thank you for the food' and was slurping with gusto, but he gave an vigorous nod to the affirmative. "Is that really safe?" Teuchi placed a hand behind his head as he mulled over that information.

"Only the best of the best students can graduate on their first try," Naruto said through a mouthful of noodles. After he'd finished his first bowl he continued, "So of course I've gotta give it my all. I'm gonna be Hokage some day and it would be for the best if I got an early start." He held up his bowl for Teuchi to take and waited patiently for his second bowl.

"If you say so Naruto. Happy birthday."

As Naruto began slurping his second bowl of ramen down another customer slid under the flaps and took a stool at the opposite end of the stall. Teuchi went to welcome him and take his order. The man pointed to Naruto and said, "One of whatever he's having." The man's voice was weary and strained, as though he'd not rested well in some time.

"Excelent choice!" Teuchi said and went to work preparing a bowl for the man. As he worked Teuchi took note of the man's appearance. His clothes were in poor condition and his traveling cloak was in tatters somehow holding together better than they should have, and his dark brown hair was tangled and wild. There were shadows under his gray eyes and they bore a deep exhaustion that no man only in his mid twenties should have. Teuchi set down the bowl in front of the man and took his payment, which the man pulled from a threadbare and nearly empty wallet.

"Another!" Teuchi turned to see Naruto holding up his bowl and he moved to take it from him and started making another bowl. Naruto seemed to be watching the older man with interest. Teuchi wondered for a moment why Naruto would be so interested in the other man, then realized that this person had not recognized the little blonde. He gave Naruto his third bowl of ramen and while he did dig in with no less vigor than usual, his eyes never left the other customer. For his part the other man ate with a quiet dignity that Teuchi rarely saw in men so young.

Teuchi scratched his chin for a moment, taking stock of this new information. Outsiders were a rarity this far into the town unless they were merchants or craftsmen. Vagabonds normally avoided the hidden villages for one reason or another so this was an interesting turn of events.

"Where are you from stranger?" The other man looked up, pausing to finish a bite of his ramen before speaking.

"I come from nowhere. I have no home, so I merely wander."

"What do you plan on doing here in Konoha then?" The man took another bite of his ramen before answering.

"I will try to find work if I can, and if I can not I will move on to other places until I do. I may just be passing through here though, since hidden villages rarely hire outsiders." Teuchi watched him finish his bowl and set it down. He seemed to be readying himself to leave and Teuchi wondered when this young man's next meal would be, or where it would come from.

"One more Teuchi-jisan!" The great roar had come from behind him and he found himself jumping in spite of himself. When he turned around he found Naruto holding his bowl up, but before Teuchi could move to grab it Naruto leveled his chopsticks at the other man. He stared for only a moment before saying, "...and one more for him too." The other man turned to stare at Naruto with those tired gray eyes of his and he seemed shocked for he did not speak.

Teuchi found himself watching as the two stared at each other. It was rare for Naruto to even take notice of strangers, but giving up a bowl of ramen was unheard of. Moments passed while some sort of silent conversation passed between the two of them and it seemed an agreement was reached because the other man sat back down. That was Teuchi's cue to get busy. So he made two more bowls at a brisk pace and placed one in front of each of them. Naruto dug in with gusto once more while still eyeing up the other man, who seemed to say a small prayer before picking up his chopsticks once more.

What he had just witnessed struck Teuchi as having some kind of weight to it. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something very meaningful had passed between the two customers in his stall. He felt as though something had changed in the very fabric of his being after seeing it and a shiver ran up his spine. The phrase 'two kindred spirits' came to his mind unbidden. He silently watched them both finish their food and as they stood to leave he heard Naruto's loud 'thank you's as if from far away.

He decided to close the shop early that day and spend some time with Ayame.

(0o0o0o0)

Outside of Ichiraku Ramen Naruto approached the other man slowly and asked, "Where are you staying tonight?" The other man gazed back at him with one eyebrow raised, but not moving. "You do have a place to sleep tonight, right?"

The traveler pulled a tired and patched old sack over his shoulder before replying. "I had planned to make my bed wherever I might find a soft patch of grass or dirt along the road." Naruto watched him pull his tattered cloak tighter around him. "I have only enough money left to buy some supplies for traveling. I should probably get what I need quickly and leave before the gates close. If I stay too long your village's ninja might get suspicious." Narto hummed in thought. As the man talked he could see the people walking by them looking down on him. He had long since stopped paying attention to how the villagers looked at him, but they were giving the same look that he had gotten all of his life to the man standing across from him. That didn't sit well with Naruto at all.

Naruto gave him a long hard look before he responded, "It's decided then! You're staying the night at my apartment." The stranger's eyes went wide at this declaration and he put a hand to his head in disbelief.

"I can't accept that. You don't even know who I am." he said, "What if I turned out to be some sort of killer or a rogue ninja. You shouldn't go around letting random vagrants stay with you."

Naruto pointed straight at the man, "Then we'll remedy that right now. My teachers always told me it was polite to give my own name first so here it goes!" He pointed at himself with his thumb and said, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to become a great ninja once I'm done at the academy. Then I will become the next Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village." He announced all this with a wide and proud grin. "Now we have that out of the way, what's your name?"

The man hesitated a few moments, unsure what to think of this young boy standing before him. He stared hard, taking in that head of blonde hair and those blue eyes brimming with confidence and kindness. Then he smiled a weary, tired smile. "My name is Uragirimono Itansha. I am a wanderer and a vagabond. I have no home and no family. I seek only a place to belong."

"Good," Naruto gave a hearty laugh and moved into a more relaxed pose. "Now that we know each other there's nothing to worry about. You can at least stay one night with me and get going in the morning." Then he turned and started walking down the street beckoning Itansha to follow. "This way Itansha-niisan."

With a shake of his head Itansha hitched his sack over his shoulder and began to follow along wondering about this young boy. "I wonder Uzumaki-san," he said easily catching up with the much smaller boy, "What will your parents say when you bring home a stranger." When Naruto didn't respond right away he looked over and saw a sad look on his face. But in an instant it was gone replaced by an easy smile that didn't quite meet his eyes.

"I don't have any parents Itansha-niisan" With that Itansha was left unable to say anything more and silently followed behind Naruto as he walked confidently through town. It wasn't long before they came to a large apartment complex situated east of the central part of the village. Naruto's apartment wasn't large, but it wasn't exceedingly small either. I was just enough for one person to live comfortably and Itansha wondered where a young orphan would get the money for a place like this.

"I'm sorry for bringing up your situation Uzumaki-san," he said as Naruto put on some water for tea. "I didn't know."

"It's okay Itansha-niisan," he said in return. "You're not from here, so you couldn't have known." Naruto poured out two cups of tea and began rummaging around for something in his closet. "I'm sure I have an extra bedroll here somewhere. Jiji got it for me just in case something happened to my bed. Thankfully I haven't had to use it myself." It wasn't long before he found it and went to unroll it.

Itansha took a sip of his tea and shook his head once more. Perhaps he and this child had more in common than he thought.

(0o0o0o0)

Unseen, two figures watched as the young boy and his new companion entered the rundown apartment. Both figures wore identical black hooded cloaks and both wore white masks that bore red markings. One was fashioned into the shape of a cat and the other a dog. These two hooded figures remained in shadows and spoke no words. The world around them took no notice of them and they remained intent on observing the activity of the small apartment through it's window. When nothing seemed to happen other than polite conversation, the figure in the dog mask turned and nodded once at it's partner and received one in return before taking off in a blur of robes.

The masked figure made good time across the village's rooftops and climbed the outside of the Administration building in utter silence before stopping below a window and placing two fingers on it. After a moment the window slid open and the figure jumped inside. Upon entering the room the figure stood and gave a polite bow before straightening out. The Hokage was sitting at his desk as usual and had already turned to meet him. "Anbu-san," he said taking a puff of his pipe. A look of concern crossed his face at the appearance of the figure. "Has something happened?"

"Uzumaki-san is in no immediate danger Hokage-sama." The voice that came from behind the dog mask was light and male. "I have come to report on events that have transpired since your meeting with him this afternoon."

"Very well Inu-san," the Sandaime took another long puff of his pipe before slumping back into his chair. "Report."

"Uzumaki-san went directly to Ichiraku's as you predicted he would," the Hokage nodded at this as Inu continued speaking, "There he proceeded to order ramen and talk animatedly about his birthday with the proprietor. Shortly thereafter a traveler entered the stall and ordered as well." Hiruzen nodded once more and raised an eyebrow, wondering just where this was going. "Something passed between Uzumaki-san and this traveler in the stall, though we could not ascertain what that was, but after they had finished with their meals Uzumaki-san proceeded to offer the traveler lodging for the night."

Hiruzen's face suddenly became serious, "Is Neko still watching them?"

"Yes Hokage-sama," Inu nodded once and continued, "The traveler did not initially want to take Uzumaki-san up on his offer, but he can be quite persuasive when he wants to be and the traveler eventually gave in. They are currently having tea in Uzumaki-san's apartment as he readies a place for the traveler to sleep." Inu finished his report and stood ready to receive his orders.

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes, taking a pull on his pipe, and let out a tired breathy sigh sending a cloud of smoke out above his head. This turn of events was quite unexpected. It was October Tenth, which meant many of the villagers would be mourning their losses. People normally just ignored Naruto, though some would give him cold and distant glares. This night would usually be the night the ANBU detail around Naruto would have to be strengthened to avoid any ugly incidents as some of the rowdier villagers might try something. No harm had yet befallen the boy, but sadly Hiruzen had been unable to find a way to support the boy outside of his infrequent personal visits with him. Now something no one could have predicted was happening and the aged Hokage was unsure how to handle it.

"Inu-san," Hiruzen spoke with an authority in his voice that was only used when giving these commands, "I want you to tap two more ANBU to assist you with the detail. I recommend Kuma and Tori for this task. Once you have given them their orders please go to the main gates and speak with the chuunin on duty and give them a detailed description of this traveler and find out when he came into the village. Have them send this information to the acting head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit. We will want to bring this traveler in for questioning once we can get him away from Naruto." Inu nodded once and then disappeared in a blur of motion.

The Hokage sighed once more and turned back to his paperwork. He hoped there wouldn't be much more added to the pile on his desk before the night was over. Even more he hoped that Naruto would remain safe through this turn of events. He sent a silent prayer to the Will of Fire that everything would be okay.

(0o0o0o0)

Itansha had woken early the next morning and sat contemplating the kind young boy who had lent him his home for a night. Naruto didn't have any trouble falling asleep, but Itansha had stayed up a bit later and watched him. He had spent some time thinking about his own past before falling asleep. After listening to Naruto snore for a few minutes he decided to try and repay him the kindness. He found some meager supplies in the kitchen cabinets and fridge and began to cook a decent breakfast for Naruto and himself. As he was cooking he had noticed that most of the boy's things were run down and his apartment, while adequate for his needs, wasn't in the best condition. Itansha made a decision then.

He heard rumblings coming form the other room as he finished and plated the food. "What is that wonderful smell?" Naruto shuffled sleepily around the corner into the kitchen and absently took a seat. "It's so early, but it smells so good..."

"I made us breakfast this morning Uzumaki-san." He placed a plate with a hearty helping of omelet and bacon before him and another across the table for himself. He put the dishes from the stove in the sink before sitting down himself. "I want to repay you for your kindness and this will be a start."

"Buhh.." Naruto was tiredly trying to wrap his head around that, but after eating a few bites he said, "You don't have to pay me back. Itansha-niisan," he took a few more bites of food before he seemed to wake up fully. "I couldn't let you sleep out in the cold, it just wouldn't be right."

Itansha smiled at that. "I know I don't have to Uzumaki-san, but you have shown me a great kindness. No one has done anything like this for me in quite some time." Itansha watched as Naruto became more awake with each bite of his breakfast until he seemed coherent.

"Thank you very much." Naruto said as he finished. "Where did you learn to cook like that Itansha-niisan?"

He smiled at that, "When you're constantly moving from place to place it's one of many skills you tend to pick up. I've picked up quite a few skills in my travels." Itansha took a few more slow bites of his food before continuing. "Can I ask you a few questions Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto smiled and gave him a thumbs up, "Sure thing Itansha-niisan."

"I've noticed that many of the villagers around here don't seem very fond of you. Do you know why?"

Naruto's smile slipped for a moment. "I don't know why," he said but then it was back in full force, "But I do know that I'll change their minds one day. When I become Hokage they'll all look up to me!" As he spoke Itansha saw a fire ignite in his eyes. That flame was so intense it startled Itansha for a moment, then Naruto turned and their eyes met. The vagabond's mind reeled as the full force of that determined look bore into him. He couldn't help but feel a spark of respect deep in his chest for this small boy.

The moment passed and Naruto went to put his dishes in the sink, giving them a thorough rinse before sitting back down again. Itansha took a moment to compose himself before going on with his inquiry. "Do you have any friends?" Itansha took the last few bites as Naruto looked thoughtful.

"I cut class sometimes with some of the guys at the Academy. I don't know if we're friends or not but they don't yell at me or anything." He smiled a little after another moment, "Teuchi-jisan and Ayame-neesan have always been nice to me too." Itansha nodded and put his own dishes in the sink.

Itansha took one more long look at Naruto. He had been a little hesitant still to make the offer he'd thought up as he was making breakfast, but after the last few minutes of conversation his mind had steeled and he knew what would best repay the kind little boy sitting at the table humming easily.

"Naruto, I think I can teach you something that will help you become a great ninja." Naruto's eyes lit up again, this time with an eager interest.

"Really? That would be awesome Itansha-niisan!"

"If you get dressed we'll go find a place away from prying eyes and I'll teach you what I know."

Without another word Naruto bolted into his room and Itansha heard drawers being opened and closed in a rush and a good bit of stumbling. While he watched the little boy run excitedly around his apartment getting ready to go chattering a mile a minute he started to wonder just what he'd gotten himself into.


	2. Lessons

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Two: Lessons**_

Itansha sat with his legs crossed under a tree in Konoha West Park. Naruto had lead them to an out of the way clearing that touched on the banks of the Konoha River. At the river's edge water entered a small pool that calmly eddied as the current teased it. He had explained that he hid away here when one of his pranks made the villagers particularly angry. While Naruto was 'checking the perimeter' Itansha had made himself comfortable and he watched the boy jump around the clearing with a serious face.

"I think we're alone Itansha-niisan!" Naruto came bounding back from the other side of their small hiding place and plopped down in front of him. He looked up at Itansha with a huge smile on his face. "What are you gonna teach me? Is it some cool new fighting style? Or some kind of advanced jutsu?"

Itansha had a small grin on his face and shook his head. "I'm sorry Naruto, I can't teach you any of those things as I have no ninja training myself." Naruto's smile faded a little at that but he went on and didn't give the boy time to object. "What I can teach you is a skill that I've found useful in my time wandering the Five Elemental Nations." Naruto looked skeptical, but he didn't complain as Itansha fixed his gaze into Naruto's eyes. "People don't treat travelers like me very well in most villages. They see my clothes and assume I have no money. They assume I have no skills, no talent and no worth." As he spoke Itansha reached into the sack he carried with him and pulled out a leather roll which he sat between them on the grass.

Naruto was frowning now. "How can they do that niisan? How can they just look at you and decide stuff like that?" His question clearly referred to both of them and not just him.

"People prefer not to complicate their lives. Taking the time to get to know everyone that they cross paths with in life is too much even for good people, so they make assumptions based on past experience or the experiences of others." Itansha slowly unrolled the leather until it revealed a number of straps and pockets, filled with brushes, combs and cases. "Sometimes it can be helpful to make others believe that you are someone else, or change yourself when meeting someone for the first time." He pulled one of the cases out and opened it up to reveal makeup. "This is true for ninja as well."

Naruto balked at the sight of the contents of the roll. "But makeup is for girls niisan, and a ninja can use the henge transformation jutsu." Itansha held up a finger to stifle further argument. He had foreseen this particular objection.

"The henge is useful in some situations, but it isn't always reliable especially when dealing with higher level ninja. Are you familiar with the Hyuga and the Uchiha?" Naruto scowled at the mention of the latter name but he nodded. "Both of those clans have special eyes that can see through illusions and other genjutsu like the henge. They're not the only ninja that can sense that kind of thing." Naruto hummed at that information but his look was still skeptical. "I was thinking of trying an experiment today and before I use this stuff on you I wanted to give you a demonstration."

"A demonstration?" Naruto echoed him. Itansha nodded as he pulled some other things out of his bag. He placed a shirt, pants, shoes and a few bits of jewelry that all looked well taken care of, especially in contrast to his normal attire of worn and tattered traveling clothes.

"I want you to take a good look at me before I begin." He stood and let Naruto look him over, turning slowly so he could get all the important details. "I don't have many clothes, so I preserve the ones I have. I rarely wear my good clothes so I can use them when I go looking for work to put out a good first impression."

Naruto didn't look too sure of this but he did seem to be paying attention. Once he'd given Naruto time to take in his appearance he grabbed his things and stepped behind a tree to change. It took only a few minutes and then he sat back in his spot under the tree and pulled his leather roll to him. Out of one of the pockets he produced a mirror and went to work. He pulled his hair back into a short ponytail that Naruto thought was not unlike the one Iruka wore. His new clothes fit him pretty well, his shirt was typical of what Naruto had seen merchants wear and was blue. Itansha also wore a red vest which must have been folded up with the shirt because he hadn't seen it. His pants were black and his shoes matched. Once he was done with his makeup Naruto couldn't help but stare.

Itansha's face was more or less the same, but he looked almost like a different person. Naruto couldn't help but let out a breathy 'wow' at the change.

"Ah," Itansha said, "This is only half the trick. With this I can make a good first impression on someone, or I can make dealing with merchants or officials much easier. If I want to make people believe I'm another person entirely I have to cover up how I move and how I speak as well. It takes many hours of practice to do this well, but this is the part that will benefit you the most Naruto."

"Really?" he asked. The skeptical look was fading from the boy's face as their lesson wore on so Itansha went on.

"I think so. Since you don't know why people treat you the way they do, you can't change anything until you know. It will be easier to do things you need to do if you can be someone else for as long as you need to, and when you become a ninja you'll have another way to defeat your enemies." He sent Naruto a serious look. "Some people call this part acting, and it's true to an extent. When doing this you have to be careful not to slip, it will be hard to keep up talking and moving differently until you get used to it. If you want to use this against your enemies it is highly important that you practice until you can keep a persona up until you no longer need it."

Naruto arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What's a pear-soo-nah?"

"A persona is like a character. It's what you call a set of things that make up who you are trying to be."

"Oh. Who are you trying to be niisan?" Naruto looked more interested now and was taking things in quickly. Itansha took a breath and cleared his throat. To Naruto he looked like he was trying to remember something important.

When he spoke it was like Itansha had disappeared and had been replaced in all but body. "I am Yuge Hitoku. My brother is a merchant from the Land of Mountains and he's had many profitable seasons this year." Gone was the weariness from his body, replaced by the vigor of a man without worry. His posture had straightened noticeably and he held himself almost like the Hyuga that Naruto had seen around the village. "I have come to Konoha on a sightseeing trip with my nephew who has been given spending money."

Naruto was in awe at how different Itansha seemed. This 'Yuge Hitoku' was a completely different person from the weary traveler he had met at Ichiraku just a day ago. As Naruto watched brought his fist up to cover a cough and he seemed to melt back into his 'real' self. "Well Uzumaki-san? What do you think?"

Naruto burst into a big grin and threw his fists in the air, "That was amazing Itansha-niisan!" Even as he cheered and let his excitement bubble over a thought began to occur to his young mind. He let his excitement abate as that thought became a burning concern. It burned in his mind until he couldn't hold it back any longer. "Ne, Niisan..."

"What is it?" Itansha saw the serious look Naruto was giving him and quirked an eyebrow.

"This is a really cool skill and all, but it seems like if you become someone else all the time, wont you forget who you really are?" The look of worry and concern that spread across Naruto's face gave Itansha pause for a moment. It was a valid question, one that any master of the art needed to ask at least a dozen times in their own training.

"That's quite an insightful question Naruto-san." Itansha sighed and placed one hand on his hip. "Many people, shinobi and civilian alike have lost themselves to this art. It can be difficult to keep your true self separate from all the others." He pointed at Naruto with the other hand and looked him straight in the eyes. "The only way I've found to not loose myself in all of my many personae is to understand exactly who I am. So you have to look deep inside yourself figure that out on your own."

Naruto swallowed hard at those words and looked up at his newly acquired friend and now mentor. Who he truly was? Naruto had never thought much of that question. He knew what he wanted to be – the greatest Hokage! As for his true self, he'd never really paid much attention to himself. "But niisan, I don't know how. How do I know what to look for?"

Itansha shook his head and sat down in his spot under the tree once more. "That is something I can not help you with. I can only see what you show me. Only you can see inside yourself to the core of your true being." He pointed at Naruto's chest, where his heart rest under his ribs. "Look here. Take some time and look as deep inside as you can. When you have found the center of who you are tell me. After that we will transform you just as I have transformed myself and we will continue our experiment."

"Okay..." Naruto got up and wandered over to the small pool that eddied so calmly and sat once more. He stared into that pool still and silent like no other time in his life, his thoughts turned inwardly.

(0o0o0o0)

Inu stood silently up in the trees surrounding the little clearing and watched. He had followed his two targets here without once loosing sight of them. He had foregone the usual dark cloak that ANBU used, confident in his ability to remain hidden. His targets were Uzumaki Naruto, a young shinobi cadet and the traveler who had been staying with him since the night before. Inu's lack of a cloak would have revealed a shock of silver-gray hair and a lithe form capable of deadly grace. He had been shadowing them since first light that morning and now he looked on as Naruto sat quietly by the river's edge, a rare occurrence indeed. While Inu had an interest in Naruto and was always glad to be assigned to his protection detail, it was this newcomer who he was concerned with.

He watched as the traveler Itansha sat and cleaned off his brushes with great care. Inu stared intently, careful not to let his emotions rise above a whisper. Even civilians were capable of feeling a strong enough killing intent. Because of his position in ANBU and his storied past he was unable to do what he had wanted from the start. It hadn't taken much to put the pieces together since he had enough contact with the boy's parents. Most of the villagers and shinobi wouldn't know because of the secrecy surrounding the birth, but Inu knew exactly who Naruto was. Likewise the other person that could have been close to the boy had things that prevented him from being around more than was strictly necessary.

Inu's purpose was to watch and assess. Those were his orders after all, but he couldn't help his own feelings. This traveler was an enigma to them. They had found no ninja matching his description in any of the bingo books. None of the sensors could feel any kind of strength in his chakra, not even the Hyuuga they had brought in could determine that he was any kind of shinobi at all. All precautions were being taken in this matter, for the affairs of the village needed to be looked after. Inu wished all these measures had been taken out of concern for the boy's safety, but even if it wasn't it was still in Naruto's best interest as well as the village's.

Inu was shaken from his thoughts as he felt someone land silently on the branch next to him. He didn't have to look, he knew instantly it was another ANBU operative. After a moment he did look over and he traded a large number of hand signs with a larger man wearing a bear mask. The ANBU sign language was classified and none outside of it's ranks would understand it. Even former ANBU had it's particulars wiped from their memory before resigning to protect the security of the messages they could convey in the little time they took to make. To the outside observer it was nothing more than a blur of motion, but the two masked men could easily understand it.

=Anything new?=

=Yes. Target is skilled in disguise techniques.=

=Is this of concern?=

=Unknown. For unknown reasons target is attempting to instruct Fox in this art.= Inu grimaced under his mask at the unfortunate code name that had been chosen for Naruto so long ago, but made no mention of it during their exchange.

=Is it wise to allow it to continue?=

=We have instructions only to act if Fox is in immediate danger. This poses no immediate threat.=

=I will join you in your task. Neko and Tori will relieve us at noon.=

The exchange took no more than a brief second and both men turned back to the clearing. Silent and vigilant.

(0o0o0o0)

It was some time later that Naruto got back up from his seat near the river and slowly picked his way over to where Itansha sat. He looked up as his 'student' approached, putting down one of his brushes he'd been cleaning. He waited patiently for the conclusion of the last hour's consideration. Naruto absently clutched at his stomach with one hand and his face was scrunched up. The look on his face was the most serious Itansha had seen yet. "I think I've figured it out niisan."

He motioned for the boy to sit and once Naruto had taken his seat he asked, "Who is Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Uzumaki Naruto..." The name seemed almost foreign on the boy's tongue as he stared into space somewhere past Itansha's left shoulder. Slowly, he looked up to meet his teacher's eyes. "Uzumaki Naruto is the kind of person who works hard at everything he does. He never gives up on his goals and never goes back on his word. Naruto is a proud Konoha citizen and shinobi cadet." Itansha could see the fire slowly building in those blue eyes staring at him. "Uzumaki Naruto sometimes has a hard time understanding things, but he never lets that get in his way of his goals."

He took his hand away from his stomach and clenched a fist that he placed over his heart. "I want people to respect me," a firm and determined expressions stretched across his face as he spoke. "But more than that I want to show people that no mater what it is that makes them look down on me, I am worth something." Itansha nodded slowly as Naruto continued. "I don't like seeing other people looked down on either, so I want to make sure my friends are taken care of too. Uzumaki Naruto is the kind of person who wants people to be happy and wants to make sure other people can be proud of themselves too."

Here he stopped, and while the determination never left his face a look of sadness joined it on his features, mixing a little ice with the fire in his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll have to live alone and I feel this pain in my chest that I don't understand. I don't want to feel that way anymore if I don't have to and..." He trailed off as the look of anguish intensified and Itansha had to fight back a wave of tears as the silence dragged. Naruto continued after a few moments, "I don't want anyone to feel that way. " The fire then returned to his eyes a thousand fold.

"That is who Uzumaki Naruto is!"

Itansha smiled brightly and started clapping. The sound roused everyone in the clearing and chased away the heavy atmosphere. Itansha's applause stopped after a moment and he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "There is no doubt in my mind you have found exactly what you needed to find." The smile never left Itansha's face. "Not many people can say they know themselves as well as you do. Keep that with you in your heart and your mind and you can never loose yourself no mater how many personae you take on." Naruto could only nod.

Unseen in the trees four masked figures traded glances before two of them took off in a blur of motion, careful not to make a sound.

"Now it's time for us to start working on your new persona." Naruto's face brightened at that and an eagerness seemed to almost lift his body of the ground as Itansha spoke. "This first persona will be your reward for finding such a clear identity. You will be Yuge Mikentou, Hitoku's nephew and heir to the small trading company his brother owns. This we can use to get some shopping done. I'm assuming you have money stored away somewhere?"

"Yeah. Hokage-jiji taught me to make sure I have some to use if there was an emergency."

"I think we can use a little of that to get you some new things, clothes and such. This will be our little experiment."

Naruto looked concerned for a moment, "Will I always have to be someone else to go shopping?"

Itansha shook his head, "No. Once you change the villagers minds you will be able to go as yourself, but until then this will make things easier." There was no doubt in the traveler's mind that this young one would surely change the opinions of the people here. Naruto had already made such an impression on Itansha that he couldn't fathom what had kept the citizens of Konoha from seeing this boy as anything other than a precious jewel. "Let's get to work. It wont do much good to change your outsides if you cant act the part."

Their lessons began in earnest now as Itansha drilled him in how Mikentou would move and speak. He would be a stern taskmaster for Naruto, because failure carried a heavy price for those practicing the art of disguise in the world of shinobi. If Naruto was going to follow this path, he would need to know how to make the change from one persona to another like second nature. So he had been taught, so he would teach Naruto.

Tomorrow they would put on a show for all of Konoha.

(0o0o0o0)

The Hokage's office was silent. Sarutobi Hiruzen was slumped back into his chair and the Crystal Eye was sitting on his desk as it had many times before. When ANBU had informed him that Naruto and this Itansha had set up in a clearing in the park he had periodically checked in with the Eye from time to time. He had noted, between bouts of paperwork that their discussions were quiet and that the traveler had been nothing but kind to Naruto. Still he remained cautious of the situation, he had promised Minato that he would make sure his son was taken care of and he meant to keep that promise.

He had taken a break to check up on the situation with the Eye before taking a lunch. He had heard every word of the description that Uzumaki Naruto had given of his 'true self'. Hiruzen would admit to many of his shortcomings, as they were numerous. He had seen Naruto no more than twenty four hours ago, and yet he had learned more about the boy's feelings in just a few minutes than he could admit to ever knowing before.

As the aged Hokage sat in the oppressive quiet of his office, he openly wept.

"I am so sorry Minato, Kushina..." the words escaped his lips with no more volume than a breath. "I wish I could have done more for him..."

 **A/N:** So in this chapter I hoped to establish exactly what Naruto will be learning from Itansha, and to hopefully break down exactly what makes Naruto himself. My aim is to make some minor tweaks to Naruto's character and, while leaving him mostly intact as Kishimoto-sensei intended, make him different enough to give him an edge in upcoming events. I also want you guys to know that I intend to have most of the major events of the manga/anime play out the way they did, with minor changes due to the divergence the story will take. The challenge I've given myself is to follow the original story as closely as possible, while still affecting some very significant changes over the course of events. I'm planning out ways to deal with all the major revelations the series threw at us and retain my own take on the way things play out.

Also I have multiple OCs that will be popping up, not just Itansha. I know you guys want to know more about him, and some of that will come out in the next two chapters. I want Itansha to behave a certain way, and his past isn't something he revisit's often. Don't worry though, I'll try to keep him from being a complete mystery, but I want to give you guys something to ponder between chapters.

Hope you guys are liking the story so far. Feel free to let me know what you think.

~Alan Quicksilver


	3. Trials

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Three: Trials**_

Naruto looked from the mirror to his teacher and back again. He was highly uncomfortable staring into the face of someone who was not quite Naruto. "I'll admit," Itansha said, "It takes some getting used to. I try to avoid looking in mirrors when I do this kind of thing myself." He admired the traveler's handiwork in the little hand mirror that came from the leather roll. His unruly blonde hair had been combed down into a semblance of normalcy and it felt almost plastered to his head. His face had been cleaned and the whisker marks had been covered with a makeup that matched the tone of his skin so well he could barely tell it was there at all. Some other bits had been applied to make his cheekbones seem higher on his face than they really were. The area under his jaw had been darkened slightly and it made his face look thinner.

If Naruto didn't know better, he would have thought he was looking at an all together different person. "It's really strange niisan." He found himself trying to catch the image in the mirror moving on it's own. They had also gotten out the nicest set of clothes he owned, a pair of gray shorts and a blue t-shirt. Naruto reached a hand tentatively to his face but he felt something hold it back. He looked up to see Itansha gently guiding his hand away from his face.

"I know it's strange," he let go of Naruto's hand, "But if you touch it now you'll smudge it." They were sitting at the kitchen table and both were in their disguises. Itansha was looking at the nervous and concerned look on his student's face. "Are you okay Uzumaki-san?"

"I don't know. I don't know if I want to do this niisan..." Itansha looked at him and sighed.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," he began, "but before you decide I'll tell you a story." Naruto looked up at him a curious sparkle in his eyes hiding behind the anxiety in his face. "Do you want to hear it?" Naruto nodded nervously, his eyes intent. Itansha heaved one more sigh.

"Before I start, you should know that my name isn't really Itansha," he held up a hand to keep Naruto from interrupting and squared his shoulders. "Before you ask, I don't remember my real name. It's been so long since I used it that I can't recall it." He put his hand down and clasped his hands together in front of him. "I know who I am, and I will never forget what makes me who I am. But I simply can not remember my real name for the life of me." Naruto didn't say anything but his nerves were starting to fade just a little and his shoulders were not as tense.

Itansha took a deep breath and launched into a story he hadn't told in a long time...

(0o0o0o0)

He sat at the edge of the alley leading off the one main street in the small village he'd entered that morning. He had been walking for so long now he wasn't sure just where he was. The valleys of his home country had given way to broad hilly plains dotted with large forests. The village he'd entered sat just beyond one of these forests and seemed lively. He hadn't known what to expect when entering the village, but no one had paid him any mind. His feet ached and his body was sore. How long had it been since he'd started walking? Days? Weeks? He couldn't remember anymore.

His stomach let out a feeble growl that he didn't know how to satisfy. He'd eaten some berries from the forest earlier, hadn't he? Or had it been yesterday? He hung his head, his unruly dark brown hair hung in his face and he could feel the grime and dirt in it. He couldn't remember the last time it had rained or when he had come across a river he'd needed to cross. All he could remember was the endless walking. It was all he wanted to remember. He swallowed and regretted it immediately as a dry lump formed and he coughed weakly until he could breath again.

What little focus he could bring to bear wavered as he heard footsteps closer than where he knew the main road was. Had someone noticed him? Suddenly there were feet in his field of vision, as unfocused as his eyes were he could tell that at least. He could hear words, but he couldn't make anything out. Blackness was creeping on the edge of his vision and it was a struggle just to stay awake. The last thing he felt before the blackness overtook him was a pair of strong arms hoisting him off the ground.

He didn't know how long he was out, but the entire time he felt like he was floating. Had he died? It wouldn't have surprised him, he didn't have anything to live for anyway. If anything he'd have been surprised to know that he lived as long as he had. Had it been a few weeks or a few months? He hadn't been able to track the time well since... He stopped himself. What was the point of remembering if he was dead? He'd rather spend his afterlife in peace rather than reliving the past anyway.

The floating sensation did eventually stop, and from that he concluded he wasn't dead after all. Dying would have been easier, but if he was going to live then he wouldn't take it for granted either. Slowly he drifted up out of the depths of fatigue and regained a semblance of consciousness. When finally he neared wakefulness he could hear talking. He felt better than he had in a long time. His stomach was still empty, but not the kind of empty that hurt like it had before. His throat was no longer dry, and his hair and skin felt slightly moist.

"I've done everything I can for him at this stage." He heard someone else reply but couldn't make out what they said. The words he could hear properly were coming from a woman. "No I can't stay any longer. Just take this money and make sure he get's better. Once he's strong enough he can decide what to do for himself." Another reply that he couldn't hear the words to. "I wish I could, but even if I stay away from the fighting it won't be safe for him. He's got no ninja training and I don't have time to take on more than one student as it is." More talking, then another voice came. This one was closer and younger, also female.

"Don't worry." He could tell it was directed at him, and for some reason he felt at ease when he heard it. "My master took care of you and we made sure you'll be okay. She takes her work seriously." He heard some rustling and felt a hand on his arm. It was warm. "I wish we could stay until you're better. You're kind of cute and I would have liked to know your name."

"Oi!" came the other voice from further away. "We're leaving!"

"Coming!" the younger voice replied. "Goodbye." she said. Before he could fall away from the waking world he felt something warm brush against his temple. Then as he faded back into sleep he heard the patter of feet receding away.

When he awoke again it was to the smell of food. Opening his eyes he saw an old man standing above him and a tray on the nightstand beside the bed he occupied. "So you're finally awake?" He gingerly slid himself up so he was in a semi sitting position and stared at the food, a bowl of some kind of stew and a small plain bun. "Fine," the old man said, "We can talk after you've had something to eat. Don't know how long it's been since you ate, but it's been at least three days since that medic ninja brought you here. Eat up."

The old man put the tray across his lap and he dug in with energy he didn't know he could muster. If asked he wouldn't remember how it tasted, only that it was the best thing he'd ever eaten. Once he had finished the old man set the tray and dishes aside they began to talk. "So," the old man began, "How old are you?" He stared absently, trying to remember. It took a while before he said anything and the old man almost started again before he could.

"I turned nine last August." His voice felt rusty, almost like it hadn't been used in a while. He supposed that made sense. He hadn't really talked to anyone in a long time. The old man looked seemed to give him a once over at that.

"That means you're almost ten then." He took that in. So it had been what, almost ten months he'd been wandering then?

The old man was scratching his chin with one hand and he noticed that his other hand held a cane. As the old man seemed to be thinking of his next question he gave the man a proper examination of his own. He was tall, taller than anyone he could remember seeing before. The old man's graying hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and his weathered skin was lightly tanned. He wore simple clothing and his back was stooped ever so slightly. "Can you tell me your name?"

He had to think about that. Did he remember his name? After thinking a few moments the images started coming again and he stopped himself. Putting a hand to his head. If he wanted to remember his name he'd have to face those memories again. He shook his head lightly. "No."

"I see." The old man sighed. "Either you don't remember or you don't want to. Judging by your face just now I think it might be the latter." He heard the old man mutter something under his breath that sounded like 'damn war', but he went on. "Okay, so how about where you came from? I've been asking around and someone did see you wander in through the west gate. Any ideas?"

He sat thinking again. West? Had he come from there? He must have. "It doesn't exist any more." The words came to him unbidden and he spoke them without a thought.

"Hmm..." the old man thought for a few more moments and began muttering to himself, though he could still hear what he was saying. "Let's see. Came from the west, but you don't look hardy enough to be from the desert. Don't have that soggy look about you that people get from being rained on all the time." He scratched at the top of his head for a moment, casting an eye at the ceiling. "Doesn't exist? Could have been a village that got destroyed. Last village I heard of getting taken over was..."

The old man puzzled a few more minuets before snapping his fingers. "Sounds like you came from that village that got blasted by Iwa a while back," his eyes widened slightly as he spoke, "but that was damn near a year ago!" He watched the old man give him a hard stare. "You're lucky to be alive kid. But if the gods saw fit to spare you the way they did then I'll do my best to make sure you keep on surviving."

He stared. Was this old man going to take care of him? He didn't know what to make of that, but he wondered if it wouldn't be so bad. Dying might have been easier, but living didn't sound so bad either.

(0o0o0o0)

"That old man had been part of a theater troupe in the days before the Second War, and he taught me many things." Itansha felt lighter, almost as if telling the story had lifted a weight he'd been carrying for a long time. "He even helped me find my new name." Naruto carefully wiped the tears from his eyes so as not to ruin his makeup. There was a look of sorrow in those eyes, but also of hope.

"So niisan..." Naruto said, his voice hitching in his throat, "You don't even know where you're from?"

"Not really." Itansha shook his head. "The old man thought I came from one of the villages in River Country that got destroyed in the Third War. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I haven't been back to River Country in a long time so I don't even know if anyone would even remember that village. It could be that I was the only survivor, but at that time I couldn't bear trying to return because every time the memories started coming back I just couldn't bear to see them."

"You've been alone for a long time then, huh?" Itansha simply nodded. Naruto suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the table, a fierce look on his face as he stared across it. "Okay then," he said, "No mater what happens, you will always be welcome in my home Itansha-niisan! Even if you have to leave I'll make sure you always have a place to stay whenever you're in Konoha." Itansha could only stare in shock.

It took a few moments to compose himself, but when he did he left a soft chuckle escape his throat. "Okay..." He looked over at Naruto. "Do you want to give 'Mikentou' a try then?" Naruto nodded firmly and then went to put his shoes on. Itansha followed him and soon they were trekking through the streets of Konoha on their way to the market.

Once they reached the edge of the market district they stopped and Itansha looked over Naruto's clothes and makeup one more time. "Now remember," he said, "If anyone asks your father is a merchant from Mountain Country. You are here with your uncle for sightseeing and shopping."

"And you're my uncle Hitoku, right?" Itansha nodded.

Itansha then put his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "Take a deep breath and relax." Naruto closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Letting out the breath slowly and the tension seemed to melt from his little body. "Got your money?" Naruto held up his little toad wallet that he'd told Itansha was named 'gama-chan' which was almost bursting at the seams. "Let's go."

They made their way through the market district getting things that Naruto needed. After getting kitchenware and groceries they made a short trip back to the apartment before going out again. The day had been going well and the two of them had been having fun. Naruto was eager to test his new identity once he had realized the first merchant hadn't recognized him. They took some time to have lunch at one of the barbecue restaurants in town before heading over to do some clothes shopping.

They had been in one of the clothing shops for some time before Naruto began tugging on Itansha's sleeve. Naruto pointed towards the entrance and whispered, "Niisan, I know her." Entering the shop was a tall man with long blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. He wore a purple outfit, but the headband he wore marked him as a ninja. Walking along beside him was a young girl with lighter blonde hair that hung just below her shoulders. She was dressed quite fashionably and walked with an air of confidence. Itansha smiled.

"How would you like to put your disguise to a harder test?" he whispered. Naruto stuck his bottom lip and tensed. Itansha nudged him and smiled. "Just remember what I taught you." Naruto seemed to calm at that.

They continued shopping for a bit, and when they saw the other two moving close to the counter they moved in that direction. They got to the counter just before the other two and while the clerk took care of the math, Itansha engaged the ninja in conversation. Naruto then turned to the girl and gave her a composed smile. Surprisingly, she returned it.

"Father never told me that there were such pretty girls in Konoha." Naruto almost choked on the words as they came out of his mouth, but remembering Itansha's lessons he kept his face straight. "What's your name?" The girl giggled, something Naruto had never seen her do around him normally.

"My name is Yamanaka Ino. I'm going to be a beautiful kunoichi. Who are you?" She batted her eyelashes at him and Naruto fought to keep his face from turning red. If Ino knew who he was it might not go well. He kept his breath slow and steady, just like his teacher had instructed him and answered her.

"My name is Yuge Mikentou. My father is a merchant from Mountain Country." He kept his face neutral and tried to emulate the look he'd seen some of the Hyuuga wear when he saw them. "He's made a good profit this season and he's sent me with Hitoku-ojisan for some sightseeing. Of course he insisted we come to a hidden village, Uncle's always been fascinated by shinobi." He looked Ino up and down like he'd seen one of the older men of the village do sometimes. "Maybe I'm starting to understand why..."

Naruto didn't quite know what to feel when Ino blushed a bright pink at his words. He felt a rush of emotions that he had to fight to keep from showing on his face, he needed to remain in character and would have time to examine these feelings later. Ino composed herself quickly and stuck her nose up in the air, "Normally I love flattery, but it won't get you anywhere Yuge-san." She cupped one of her hands over her heart, and as she did a dreamy expression came over her face. Naruto knew what was coming next and brought all of the concentration he could muster to keep a scowl from erupting on his face as he watched. "My heart belongs to someone who will be an awesome shinobi one day..." Ino trailed off and Naruto had to fight against a wave of nausea he could not explain.

He managed to keep his reaction to a neat frown, "That's too bad Yamanaka-san." Not long after that the Yamanaka duo broke away and walked farther into the store and Itansha paid the merchant. As they walked away Naruto looked up at his mentor with a thoughtful look on his face. "She didn't even recognize me."

Itansha looked down at him and smiled. "It will probably be easier to fool children and civilians at this stage," he said as they made their way back to Naruto's apartment. "I'm not sure if I distracted her father well enough to keep him from seeing who you really are, but he didn't react that I could see. That might be a good sign either way."

Naruto thought about that quietly as they started climbing the stairs to his home. "Maybe..."

(0o0o0o0)

Yamanaka Inoichi stood thoughtfully off to one side as his daughter looked over some of the clothes on a rack near the wall. While his wife was running the family shop he had agreed to take Ino shopping for some more shinobi appropriate attire since the Academy would start a more rigorous training program for second year students. Her normal clothes had been fine for the less intense classroom and kunoichi training, but the new program would require something more sturdy.

The encounter at the front of the store had pushed their shopping trip aside in his mind for the moment. He had been slightly annoyed when the young man first spoke to him, wanting to get the shopping done with and back to meet his old teammates at the bar later. He wasn't sure where the conversation had been going, but when he had caught sight of the younger one talking to his daughter something clicked in his head.

The young man speaking to him was causing a distraction for the boy. When Inoichi had taken a closer look at the kid his eyes had almost jumped out of his sockets. His training as a shinobi had let him stay composed and assess the situation without drawing attention to his revelation. The conversation only took a few moments and they had parted ways. He stood there now thinking carefully about the encounter and realized that Ino, who took classes almost every day with the Uzumaki kid had not taken notice that 'Mikentou' was really Naruto in disguise.

He conceded that Ino was still young, but she should be able to recognize someone she saw on a daily basis even in disguise. Inoichi had fought against the Kyuubi so many years ago and he could never forget the horrors that night had brought on. Still, unlike most of the villagers who had found out about the young boy's status as jinchuriki, Inoichi did not bear the young Naruto any ill will. He understood the sacrifice involved with sharing space with another entity. His own clan's techniques had let him see into the minds of many people, a few victims of botched sealing incidents among them.

After becoming aware of the situation Inoichi had also noticed an unusually heavy ANBU detail in and around the shop during the encounter. Both Naruto and the young man were being watched closely, and he could easily understand why. Outside influence on jinchuriki was taken very seriously by shinobi law and if this new influence was a threat to the village it needed to be carefully handled.

Inoichi looked at his daughter once more as he thought and saw that she was examining an outfit that was not unlike his own, thought much more feminine. "Ino," he said causing her to look up from her inspection. "What did you think of that young man we met earlier?"

"Well..." Ino scrunched up her nose for a moment in thought, "He was kind of cute and seemed nice. He was a little haughty for a merchant's son though." She shook her head and returned to examining the outfit. "Why?"

"I was just wondering." Inoichi tugged at his hair, a habit his wife had been trying to break him of for years, and spoke again. He chose his words carefully this time. "You talk about your classmates in the Academy quite often these days." He saw the look in her eyes and quickly moved on to head off the declarations of love for the Uchiha heir before they derailed the conversation entirely. "I understand there is a boy in your class named Naruto," her face immediately darkened at the name, "What is he like?"

"Naruto's a loud, noisy, stupid prankster." There was a note of disdain in his voice. "Just because he has no parents he thinks it's okay to go around causing trouble and making our lives difficult." Inoichi frowned at the implication his daughter had casually thrown out. "I don't like him much, not many people do." She seemed to decide that the purple outfit was good enough as she spoke and turned to examine some mesh undershirts, "Sometimes Iruka-sensei takes him for dinner after class. I don't know why, he makes more trouble for our instructors than anyone. That Hyuga girl seems to watch him a lot too, but any time I ask her about it she just looks away and changes the subject. She's kind of weird like that."

Inoichi tugged on his ponytail a few more times as he thought, watching Ino pick out another pair of mesh leggings from the rack. "I understand that Naruto may be trouble sometimes," he started. There was a softness in his voice that caused his daughter to give him a queer look as he spoke, "But having no family can be difficult for a child. Even if he doesn't seem like it, Naruto is probably hurting more than it shows." Ino clutched the clothes in her arms a little tighter to her body as her father went on and a troubled look crossed her face. "You always seem to make allowances for that Uchiha boy when he's being unreasonable, but his situation isn't much different from Uzumaki-san's."

Ino looked down for a moment. "I never thought of that."

"I didn't think you had," Inoichi said. "If that's what your getting we should take it to the counter. I'll drop you off back at home once we're done. I need to go to the administration building after that."

The two of them were silent for the remainder of their trip, both deep in thought.


	4. Questions

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Four: Questions**_

Naruto and Itansha both stood at the entrance to the apartment building while Naruto went over his school things. "I wish I could stay with you today Itansha-niisan," Naruto whined as he stuffed an extra instant ramen into his pack. Itansha shook his head while hitching his bag over his shoulder. "Class is just going to be boring lectures and meaningless classwork."

Itansha ruffled his hair, to which he loudly protested. "Classwork and lectures may be boring but that doesn't mean you should ignore them. Don't you think skipping classes and ignoring your teachers is the same as giving up?" The younger boy looked at him sharply and conflicting emotions played across his face. Naruto had never thought of it that way before. Skipping class would be more fun, and sometimes he could spend time with the other kids who skipped out like Shikamaru and Kiba. But the more he thought about it the more he realized that skipping was less about having fun and more about avoiding difficulty and ridicule.

He hung his head and groaned. "I don't want to give up, but I have such a hard time with everything they try to teach me. All of the other kids can go home to their parents if they don't understand something. I work really hard all the time, but I only just got the hang of the henge recently." Naruto's thoughts skewed off course for a moment, automatically going back to the 'improvements' he was thinking of making to the henge. He put the thought aside and continued, "Now we're studying the bunshin and I don't understand why I can't do it. Every time I try to follow the instructions they give us it always goes wrong..."

Itansha made a soft humming noise as he held his chin between two fingers. "If you can't get anywhere asking the adults, maybe you could ask one of your classmates to help you." Itansha heard Naruto huff in indignation and he shook his head again. "Don't think of it as being inferior," his voice was firm and he commanded Naruto's attention without yelling. That was something Naruto wasn't familiar with. Many of the Academy instructors tried to make him pay attention to their lectures, but most of them resorted to shouting and threatening him with punishments. The only one that ever even came close to having that effect was Iruka-sensei, but even he fell short in most cases. "It is never a weakness to ask for help. I know there is someone out there who will be willing to help you, and if you keep thinking of asking for help as a weakness it could hold you back your entire shinobi career."

That thought struck Naruto hard. Not asking for help could hold him back? "You mean I can't get stronger on my own?" Itansha sighed and looked at Naruto with eyes that mystified him. Naruto had not seen anyone look at him that way before and at first he thought maybe this was pity which started to make him angry, but something stopped him as he stared into Itansha's features. He didn't feel like he was being looked down on. Itansha wasn't thinking less of him, there was something in those gray eyes that just seemed to _understand_ him...

"Of course you can get stronger on your own," He said. "But when you work together with other people you can do so much more than you ever could alone." Itansha knelt in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder, "I have wandered alone for many years, but I have always found the time I spent with others more meaningful. All of the knowledge and skills I have came from the people I met along the road." Itansha released Naruto's shoulder and placed his hand over his own heart. "If it hadn't been for those two medical ninja and that old man I wouldn't even be alive today."

Naruto nodded slowly. He didn't know what to say, "Okay." he turned around in the direction of the Academy and stood hunched for a moment. Then he straightened and looked over his shoulder at his new friend and smiled broadly. "If you think it's a good idea Itansha-niisan," he said, "then I will try. I won't ever give up." Itansha smiled back at him and nodded. "Will you come back tonight?"

Itansha looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I don't know, but I promise I won't leave the village without telling you first, okay?" Naruto nodded and waved happily before he turned and started walking towards the Academy. Itansha had gotten him up early and cooked him breakfast again so he could make sure to be in class on time. As he walked, he thought hard about what Itansha had said before he left. Consequently he missed the sounds of swooping and the muffled protests coming from behind him.

It didn't take him long to get to class, and to his surprise he entered the classroom to find it nearly empty. Only two other people had gotten here before him. As he moved to take a seat he noted that Iruka-sensei was watching him with a bit of shock and suspicion on his face. Naruto shrugged at him which made Iruka frown, but he said nothing and went back to his papers. The third person in the classroom paid him no attention at all. Normally this would irritate Naruto, but the last three days had been so great that he didn't let it affect him. Sitting in the back row Naruto spared Uchiha Sasuke a glance.

Sasuke had never been one of Naruto's friends, but ever since that time two years ago he had been much more distant with everyone. Naruto only vaguely understood what had happened. He knew that Sasuke was alone now, and he knew that being alone hurt. He could not understand what loosing someone meant though, as Naruto had never had anyone to loose. On the worst days, the sullen boy's attitude angered Naruto. Today Naruto simply puzzled over his classmate's situation. It was not something he normally concerned himself with and usually he was fine to let things be as they were. Sasuke was top of their class and Naruto was at the bottom and while that grated against Naruto's nerves, he knew that he would eventually show everyone that he was the best.

Sasuke must have sensed Naruto's gaze because he sent a glare at him. They said nothing as they stared at one another, but this time it was without the animosity that usually accompanied it. Sasuke must have sensed that too, because his glare went from annoyed to confused after a moment. Naruto looked upon him for a few more seconds but was distracted when the door to the classroom opened once more.

The person who opened it froze as three sets of eyes landed on her.

Naruto had to search his mind as he watched the young girl stare into the room. She stood there trembling in the silence for a full minute before Iruka spoke. "Is there something wrong Hinata-san?" Then Naruto remembered her. Hyuga Hinata usually didn't stick in his mind. That struck him as weird and it bothered him.

Iruka's question had broken her out of her paralysis and she shuffled quickly to a back row seat a few chairs over from where Naruto sat. He watched her fidget with the sleeves of her long over shirt. She kept her head down and her face semi hidden under her bangs, which made Naruto wonder at why she would do such a thing. The more he thought about her it occurred to him that she had always been that way. Then Naruto realized there was something familiar about her that he couldn't place. In all the time that they had shared classes he had only heard her speak a handful of times, and he couldn't ever remember her talking to him directly. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he should be more familiar with her than that.

It was as he watched Hinata that Naruto noticed that her face occasionally flicked up. Never enough for him to see it well, but as he watched he noticed it more and more. As the seconds ticked by Naruto wondered why. Every time her face lifted he watched a little closer until he realized she was looking at him. He turned his gaze away from Hinata, but kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. She kept flicking her eyes at him and when it was apparent that he was no longer staring at her, she began to watch him.

Naruto became confused. Why was she watching him? Did she watch him often? Did she hate him like all the other villagers? His felt pressure begin to build in the back of his head as his questions piled up. He started trying to catch her looking at him, but every time he turned his head towards her she hid her face back under her bangs. Naruto lost track of how long this dance of eyes went on but he was startled out of it when Iruka spoke again.

"Naruto!"he shouted. "What are you doing to Hinata?" Naruto almost fell out of his chair in shock and sputtered, unable to think of anything to say.

Before he could say anything another voice, soft and shaky, spoke. "He wasn't d-doing anything to me s-sensei..." Both Naruto and Iruka turned to see Hinata looking up. She was trembling and her face kept twitching as though she wanted to return to hiding behind her bangs. Though she seemed to struggle against this instinct, she did not put her face back down, and Naruto realized this was the first time he could remember where he saw Hinata's full face. "I j-just had s-something in m-my eye." That drew Naruto's gaze to her eyes and something nagged at the back of his mind.

She had just lied. Naruto knew how to lie, and he could do it quite well most of the time. Being a prankster required it, and he suspected it had helped him grasp the basics of 'acting' that Itansha had taught him recently. But Hinata had't _just_ lied, she had lied to keep Naruto from getting in trouble. Iruka nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer but he shot Naruto a look that said he would be watching. Then Hinata withdrew back to hiding behind her hair and Naruto couldn't help but stare at her again. Why had she lied _for him_?

Before Naruto could ponder the question in any meaningful way the door to the classroom slammed open again to reveal Kiba bounding into the room, followed by other students who all went to take their seats. Most people avoided sitting next to him, but eventually Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji took the seats to either side of him and Iruka stood to shut the door and begin class. Naruto hunkered down in his seat, ready to follow Itansha's advice and pay attention to the lectures that would follow. In all the commotion Naruto didn't see another girl sending glances in his direction. Yamanaka Ino kept turning her head to look at Naruto with troubled eyes before glancing over at Sasuke as well.

Then Iruka began talking and almost everyone's attention was pulled forward.

(0o0o0o0)

A sack was roughly lifted from Itansha's head and his eyes adjusted slowly to the bright light that was being pointed at him. He sat in a cold metal chair with his hands tied to the arms and his ankles secured to the legs. Near as he could tell there were two people standing in front of him, just beyond a table that sat a few inches from the chair he occupied. As soon as he had said goodbye to Naruto, he had been grabbed and the sack thrown over his head. Then he had been hauled away and roughly bound before ending tied to the chair. He couldn't tell how long he had sat there before his captors had come, but he knew it couldn't have been more than half an hour.

As his vision focused he took in the appearance of his captors. One was tall, and though he looked young, had a long scar running down his face. He wore a Konoha headband that covered his entire head and a long black overcoat. Beside him stood an old man that wore white robes trimmed with red. His hair was once brown, but gray had overtaken most of it and he puffed slowly on a pipe. Both of them stared at him silently and Itansha felt fear rising up his spine. They said nothing for a while and as each second passed Itansha ticked through the things he knew to stave off the terror that sought to consume him.

He had obviously been abducted by shinobi, the headbands confirmed that much. These were the shinobi of the village, which meant he was somewhere inside the village. He had suspected that his presence inside the walls of the hidden village had not gone unnoticed, but as a simple traveler, he had been sure he would only be considered suspicious. Thinking back he couldn't think of anything he'd done that would make them think him dangerous. Then he remembered the day before when he'd engaged the ninja in purple so that Naruto could test his disguise. Had that one reported him? Had his disguise made them more concerned about his presence here?

Before he could continue that train of thought the man in the black coat spoke. "We are going to begin the interrogation now. Do you understand this?" Itansha nodded shakily and he went on. "You are here under suspicion and we have observed your actions the past three days. We will ask you questions and you will answer them truthfully. Everything you say is being monitored and recorded. Should your answers be determined false or misleading we will take action necessary to obtain the truth. Is that clear." Itansha swallowed hard, but nodded again.

The old man took one more puff on his pipe and let out a long breath that filled the room with fragrant smoke. "Let's start with something simple," he said. "What is your name?"

Itansha closed his eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled trying to calm himself. Opening his eyes again he spoke clearly. "My name is Uragirimono Itansha."

"Good," the old man said. "When did you come to Konoha?" The question was simple and Itansha was sure they already knew the answer to this one.

He answered calmly."Three days ago. I entered the gates around midday." The old man nodded again, his eyes piercing.

"What was your purpose for entering the city?" This question signaled the real interrogation had begun. He fought hard to keep his heart from racing and focused on the questions at hand to try and stay calm.

"I came here to find work. It has been many months since I left my last job and was in need of traveling funds." Itansha knew that some of the things he'd said had been unnecessary as the questions were still simple, but he wanted to be as honest as he could with these people. He had not survived many years of wandering to die over some petty lies.

The shinobi in the black coat began writing on a clipboard that he had produced from somewhere as he answered. The old man was still glaring at him. "You were observed on the first day at Ichiraku Ramen. Tell me what happened during that time."

Itansha stifled the urge to raise an eyebrow at the request. "I entered the stall to get a quick meal. The aroma led me there as it had been some time since I had decent food. I ordered based on what another customer, a young boy, was eating and the owner obliged. I ate slowly and when I finished I paid for my food and made to leave the stall." The old man was still staring hard at him and while he described the encounter he heard the scratching of the other man as he wrote. "Before I could leave the boy offered to pay for another bowl of noodles for me. I was going to protest but when I looked at the boy, something in his eyes told me he wouldn't take no for an answer. I accepted his offer without a word and said a small prayer in thanks before eating. Once we finished we both exited the stall." Itansha took a breath, about to go on but he was interrupted by the old man.

"I see." He still stood staring at him and those eyes flashed quickly, sending a chill down Itansha's spine. "After exiting the stall this boy then offered you a place to sleep. Is that true?" Itansha merely nodded. Something didn't feel right about this interrogation. Why were they focusing on his interaction with Naruto? He had expected to be questioned about his disguise, not befriending a young orphan.

"I didn't want to take him up on the offer, but he had a strange way of keeping me from turning him down. He insisted that I simply couldn't be allowed to sleep on the side of the road. He gave me no choice but to accept."

The old man looked at his companion... No, Itansha reconsidered that notion quickly as he observed their movements. The shinobi in the long coat was not a companion, but rather a subordinate. They looked at one another for a moment, something passing between them before the old man spoke again. "The following day you and the young boy retreated to a secluded area of the park on the west end of town. You were observed teaching that boy about practical disguise. I would like to know how you came by that skill and what your reasons for teaching him were."

Still confused Itansha collected his thoughts and took another deep breath. "I came by the skill when I was young. I am an orphan who almost died early, though I don't remember much from before..." he trailed off for a moment as a lump formed in his throat. Swallowing it he continued, "I almost died at the age of ten, but was saved by a passing medic ninja. I was left in the company of an older gentleman who had worked for a theater group in his youth. He helped me recover and taught me his skills so that I could make a living. Unfortunately he passed away the following year and I was forced to leave the town where we had been living."

He shook his head to clear away the sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. "As a traveler I am rarely treated well by the townsfolk where I pass through and have become accustomed to being ignored by most. That young boy-" he stopped himself quickly and began again, "Uzumaki Naruto paid me a kindness without any hesitation. He has been kind to me in ways I haven't known in many years. While I stayed with him he spoke at length about wanting to become a shinobi, and while in his company in the village I had noticed he was not treated well. Orphans rarely are." He stared a challenge into the old man's eyes and was surprised to see him flinch just slightly. "I decided that for someone so kind I could not leave without repaying him. He insisted I didn't have to, that what he did was only right. I insisted that it was only right that I help him as he helped me."

Itansha stopped there and waited. There was silence as the shinobi in black continued to scratch at his clipboard and the old man puffed on his pipe. The atmosphere had become tense and there was an unseen pressure bearing down on him. Itansha wanted to ask what this was all about, wanted to know why the hell they were so focused on Naruto of all people. Why did everyone seem to dislike a young boy that Itansha had found it a joy to be around. Some of the pressure abated and his captors exchanged looks again before the old man turned back to him once more.

"The next day you and the boy spent time in the markets making purchases. During this time you and the boy passed yourselves off as Yuge Hitoku and Yuge Mikentou respectively. In the course of your excursion you engaged in conversation with a shinobi of the Leaf and his daughter. What lead you to do this?" The old man seemed anxious now and Itansha desperately wanted this to be over. He still had no idea why they were making such a big deal out of this.

He furrowed his brow and breathed through his nose, trying to stay as calm as he could. "Naruto and I were out replacing some of his things and were buying some new clothes for him. He noticed the other two enter the store and pointed out that he was acquainted with the young girl. I thought it would be a good test of the lessons I gave him the previous day and tried to give him some time to talk with her. While I noted that some of his skills still need polishing the girl didn't seem to recognize him and we considered it a successful test."

The two men turned away from him and began speaking in low tones. The old man looked at him again before they exited the room.

Itansha leaned back in the chair, trying to relax so that the bindings didn't chafe at his skin as much. As it was he could tell there would be marks on his wrists and ankles later. He sat and puzzled over what had just happened. None of the questions he had been asked made any sense to him. They were going to all this trouble just because he had spent some time with an orphan boy that no one seemed to like. Had Naruto's parents been bad people? Even if that were true Itansha knew better than most that the sins of the parents should never be carried to the children. From the time he'd spent with Naruto he couldn't understand why people could treat him as such an outcast.

Naruto had confessed to being something of a prankster, but that couldn't be enough to make people think this badly of him. Itansha wished that he could rub at his temples. Between all the confusion and the pipe smoke he could feel a headache rapidly forming. Near as he could tell nearly a quarter of an hour had passed before the door opened again. This time the old man and his black clothed subordinate were followed by another shinobi, and Itansha recognized him as the one he had spoken to the day before.

The shinobi, Yamanaka if he remembered right, strode over to him and made a few hand signs before placing his hands on Itansha's head. A haze descended over his mind and he felt a strange pressure in his forehead. He truly lost track of time under the fog of whatever jutsu was being used on him and he felt his skin crawl every few moments. He had no idea how much time had passed when his mind cleared and he watched the three men leave the room once more.

Time passed slowly after that and Itansha began to loose hope that he would ever leave this room. Perhaps they had decided he couldn't be trusted. He had been nothing but honest with them, and would have described it as being almost forthcoming. Had it been too unbelievable that he would be so? The minutes stretched on and Itansha began to fall into despair, wondering if anyone would ever know he was dead after they drove a kunai into his heart.

Then the door opened again and this time only the old man entered the room. Itansha gave him a questioning look and the old man waved a hand in his direction. His restraints loosened of their own accord and his limbs were free. He rubbed at his wrists, but made no move to get up or speak.

A few moments passed and then the old man smiled. "I apologize for your rough treatment Uragirimono-san." Itansha's face must have shown the confusion he felt, because the old man chuckled. "Ah," he said. "Allow me to introduce myself." He tapped out his pipe and pulled a small pouch from inside his robes, carefully refilling the bowl with fresh tobacco. He placed the end of the pipe in his mouth and the tobacco lit with a small flash. He took one long puff and breathed out another long pall of smoke. "I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, and I am the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village."

Itansha's mouth hung open, his mind unable to function enough to try and close it.

(0o0o0o0)

As the end of day bell rang Iruka watched his students gather their things, several of them hastily cramming their things into their packs just to race out of the door. He scanned the room and found the two students he'd been watching carefully all day. "Naruto, Hinata," he said making the two turn in his direction. Both students looked on with questioning gazes full of confusion and worry. "Would you please stay a moment. I'd like to have a word with each of you." The two of them sat down and Iruka watched the rest of the students file out of the room. He waited a few moments, shuffling some of his papers around so that the pertinent items were available.

After the room cleared he motioned for Hinata to come up to his desk. She approached shyly and Iruka could see her small body quake softly as she stood there. As she looked up to him through her bangs Iruka sighed. He didn't know much about the Hyuga clan or it's practices, but he could only guess that something was terribly wrong with Hinata's home life. Unfortunately he had no authority to question the affairs of such a highly respected clan. When he spoke he kept his voice low. "Are you sure everything is okay? You're sure that Naruto wasn't doing anything to you this morning?"

Hinata shook her head and she hastily whispered, "N-no Iruka-sensei." She looked up at him a little more so he could see her featureless white eyes. "Naruto-kun wasn't b-bothering me. I just had so-something in my eye and he m-must have been worried. Th-that's all." Iruka frowned, he knew she wasn't telling the whole truth. Hinata rarely spoke in class as it was and with the issues she had with confidence he could pick out all the indicators of a lie in her small body. But what surprised him was the part she wasn't lying about. He could tell that she was being absolutely truthful about not being bothered by Naruto's actions.

He mulled that over as he took a glance at his other pupil. Naruto was watching them with an expression that showed both apprehension and curiosity in equal measure. "If you're sure then," he said. With that concern out of the way his voice rose to normal speaking volume and he took a paper off of his desk. "I also wanted to inform you privately that you took the only top score on the quiz from last week. Congratulations." Hinata nodded shakily and thanked him quietly. Iruka made a motion and Hinata shuffled out of the room without another word.

Then Iruka turned and looked at Naruto, who sat there nervously. Iruka hadn't know what to make of Naruto at first. Of course he knew what the boy was, and the pain that knowledge caused was great. But ever since Naruto had been assigned to his class last year, Iruka was struggling with his image of the 'demon child'. Even years later he still missed his parents terribly, but he found himself constantly seeing little bits of himself in the little orphan who acted out just for attention. Every day he spent teaching took him back to his own academy days, playing the fool and being laughed at just so people would look at him.

He had been watching Naruto since he had arrived that morning. It was nearly unheard of for Uzumaki Naruto to arrive on time, let alone early. Then there had been that strange behavior between him and Hinata, which had concerned Iruka for more than one reason. Not only did he not want such a sweet young girl to be bullied or bothered, but the Hyuga's severe reputation left Iruka worried about how they would respond to such a thing. The final cause for Iruka's concern was Naruto's behavior during the rest of class – namely that he'd caused no trouble and seemed to be paying attention. Those actions were not something he associated with the young hyperactive child.

"Would you come here for a moment Naruto. I'd like to ask you a few questions." Iruka did his best to stay calm and project his authority. He watched curiously as Naruto walked down to stand in front of him. Instead of the usual defiant posture and hard face that confronted him countless times over the past year, Naruto seemed unsettled and almost fearful. "I want you to be honest with me," he said, "What was going on this morning? I do appreciate that you showed up early today, but what in the world was going on with you and Hinata?"

A confused frown spread across Naruto's face at his questioning. "I really don't know Iruka-sensei." He put a hand over his stomach, something Iruka noticed he did when uneasy or upset. "I was just looking at her at first, 'cause I normally don't pay that much attention to her. I thought it was kinda weird that we shared classes all the time, but I rarely noticed her." Naruto trailed off for a moment and Iruka raised an eyebrow at his pupil. "Then when I was watching her I thought maybe I knew her from somewhere, but not from classes and stuff. I was thinking about that when she started doing this thing where she looked up at me and looked away real fast." Naruto cast a glance up at him and the boy seemed more curious than anything. "After I noticed it I started trying to catch her doing it and that's when you yelled at us."

Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, right where the scar stretched across his face. "Okay," he stretched the word out a bit as he contemplated the boy's explanation. "Well I suppose there's no harm in it, but try not to bother her too much. Some of the other adults might consider it harassment." He looked down at Naruto who was nodding slowly, as if not sure exactly what that meant but would comply anyway. "The next thing I wanted to talk to you about was this change in your behavior. I have never seen you be so attentive in my class before and while I am overjoyed that you have finally taken an interest in your lessons, I'm not sure what to make of this sudden change."

At this Naruto smiled, and that startled Iruka just a little. "Oh that! A lot of the stuff you and the other teachers talk about is really boring, but someone told me that if I never give up I can be a great shinobi someday. Then they said that maybe skipping class and not paying attention was kind of like giving up. I thought about that a lot on my way here today and I thought I didn't want to miss out on important stuff anymore and even though it's boring I wanna try my best from now on." Naruto had spoken quite fast and Iruka had to process his diatribe for a moment.

He shook his head after he'd figured out what was going on. Naruto didn't hesitate to admit that he found the Academy lectures uninteresting which Iruka didn't totally disagree with. He remembered his own disinterest from not that long ago. Then there was the insistence over not giving up. Iruka knew from experience with the boy that his determination knew no bounds, and often his bullheaded attitude lead him directly into confrontation with the instructors and sometimes other students as well. Someone had obviously taken Naruto's stubbornness and found a way to channel it. Iruka had been fast on his way to giving up on that endeavor himself for a few weeks now.

Iruka crossed his arms and breathed deeply for a moment before responding. "I suppose I should be grateful for whatever has changed your attitude so we'll leave it at that." He waved, signaling that Naruto could leave and turned back to his desk to finish his paperwork for the day. Before he could do more than sit down in his chair he heard Naruto clear his throat, which pulled his attention back to the young blonde. Iruka looked up to see him fidgeting a little taking glances at the door. "What is it Naruto?"

He hesitated for a moment but looked nervously at his teacher and asked, "Do you think Hinata would help me with my bunshin if I asked her?" Both of Iruka's eyebrows shot up at this question and he looked at Naruto for a long moment, which Naruto must have assumed meant he'd said something wrong. "I don't want to bug her or anything," he said quickly. "It's just, she must be smart to get high scores on the tests, and I was thinking maybe she could help me figure out what I'm doing wrong." Once again Iruka had to process a moment after Naruto's breathless speech.

He sat down and his eye twitched a little as he heaved a light sigh. "It might not be a bad idea to ask for help if you have trouble understanding things, and as long as you aren't making Hinata uncomfortable I don't think she'll mind but..." He shook his head and looked at Naruto, who was waiting with almost bated breath. "Stick around for a bit longer Naruto. There are some things you should know about Hinata's family if you're going to ask for her help. We'll talk over ramen once I'm done with my papers."

Naruto nodded with a smile and went to sit at a desk in the front row. As he worked at his papers, he caught Naruto glancing every so often at the door with a curious look on his face.

(0o0o0o0)

 **A/N:** No authors note last time because I didn't feel like it. I know I've been releasing these chapters on roughly a weekly schedule, but I want to try and stay around 1 - 1 1/2 chapters ahead of schedule, so if it takes me a while to get the chapter after next done you may have to wait a bit longer. I hope to avoid that because posting somewhat close to regularly gives me a sense of accomplishment. Likewise I always feel a bit more motivated when my chapters are well received, and I've been getting a lot of favorites and follows recently which is nice. I like reviews better when they are geared towards providing an opinion or even a criticism, but all reviews are welcome.

How do you guys find Itansha so far? I'm trying very hard to make him balanced as an OC. He won't be turning into a powerful ninja ever, because I wanted to keep his involvement with Naruto strictly personal. I'm setting him up to become a big brother figure for the kid and maybe a foil for some of the other adults in his life after his graduation. Following that train of thought, I know I want to have him leave the village for a few years after the next couple of chapters. I have a good idea how to do this and I intend to bring him back right after Naruto's graduation. I've seen lots of fics tamper with the 'graduation' Naruto receives in one way or another, but I want it to stay mostly the same bar some minor additions or omissions due to what's changed already.

On that note I'm wondering if anyone noticed what I did in that last chapter's flashback scene to Itansha's past. It's kind of a hint of things to come in a far off chapter. In this chapter you might notice the nudges into NaruHina territory, but I'll be holding off on developing that for a while, as I want to keep most of that for after graduation.

If you have questions or suggestions I welcome them all. I'll answer any questions that won't give too much away if I can, and suggestions will be considered, but may not be implemented. If I do use suggestions, I will always save them till I can put my own unique perspective on them.

Until then, enjoy

~Alan Quicksliver


	5. Answers

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Five: Answers**_

Itansha sat in front of the desk in the Hokage's office on the top floor of the Konoha Administration office. The Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat patiently as the minutes ticked on. There was a hint of a smile on his weathered face as he took a long draw on his pipe. Itansha flinched as he blew out the smoke, but thankfully the cloud rose quickly away from face level. After his interrogation Itansha's things had been returned to him and he had been escorted out of a building that stuck out from the face of the cliff under the monument. He had followed the Hokage and several masked shinobi who said nothing as they walked.

After a few more moments of silence the Hokage spoke. "I must apologize once again for the rough treatment you had to endure Uragirimono-san." Hiruzen leaned forward in his chair and laced his fingers together in front of him on the desk. "I'm sure you must have many questions about all of this, and I will do my best to answer those questions however I can. Keep in mind however that some of the things you may ask I could be unable to speak about freely."

Itansha nodded his head and sat quietly to compose himself. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I had expected that travelers would be looked on with a good deal more suspicion here than they would be in a normal village." He shook his head as he spoke, "The rough treatment wasn't even completely unexpected if I am to be honest with you Hokaga-sama. But what truly confounds me is that over any of the things I could have been questioned on so thoroughly, the focus was strictly on my dealings with a young orphan boy."

To further Itansha's confusion, Hiruzen's shoulders slumped a little and he he leaned back in his chair with an almost forlorn expression on his face. Itansha had heard that the Third Hokage was much older than most of the ruling Kage, barring the current Tsuchikage of course, but he was surprised at just how tired and weary the Sandaime looked at that moment. "Uzumaki Naruto is a complicated subject in Konoha." The Hokage stood and walked to a window that looked out over the village to the south. "There is much about Naruto that I can not say, even to those of high esteem in the village."

Itansha looked on as the old man shook his head and sighed. "Then tell me what you can about him," Itansha said.

The Hokage turned to him and nodded, walking back to his desk. "On the day Naruto was born, a terrible event befell the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I can not say what that event was, but Naruto was part of the solution to the problem." Itansha cocked his head to one side and frowned. "In a perfect world Naruto would be heralded as a hero for his part in ending the event, but there are many in the village who do not – can not – see it that way. Naruto's parents died that night and laws were passed in the next few days that would be meant to protect him from things he could not begin to understand. It was hoped that he would be kept safe and marginally happy until he became old enough to be trusted with the secrets that surround him."

Hiruzen took another long drag on his pipe, this time purposefully blowing the smoke away from his guest. "Unfortunately, during the intervening time certain information was leaked to the public and the damage had already been done. Without the whole truth, those in the village would come to hate and fear Naruto for something that is not his fault. The rest of the information regarding his situation could not be shared with the public in order to keep the enemies of the village from taking advantage of the situation." The Hokage slumped back into his chair and absently placed his right hand over the hat that sat on his desk. "Many of the shinobi of the village do understand better than the civilians what Naruto is, but in the course of their duties and even their own lives they have little time to spare for an orphan. Even those few of us who do care for the boy have precious few moments we can truly spend with him, as our own responsibilities prevent us having much time to ourselves at all."

Itansha had taken all of this in as quietly as he could. Things made more sense, though he could not fathom what could be so bad that the villagers could neglect such a young and innocent boy. "Does Naruto know anything about this?" Itansha suspected the answer even before the Hokage started shaking his head.

"He is aware of only what other children are capable of finding out, and the laws prohibit speaking the truth to any who do not already know. Our plans are to tell him at such a time as he is ready to know the full truth. That is qualified as either his sixteenth birthday or his promotion to chuunin." The room was silent for a while after that.

Itansha drew himself up in his seat and took a fortifying breath. "If it is alright with you Hokage-sama, I would very much like to stay for a time and finish teaching Naruto my art. I don't know how long I will need to stay in the village, but I think Naruto will benefit in many ways from what I have to teach him."

Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully to himself, his eyes closing as he pondered the request. A moment or two passed before his eyes reopened, but a smile spread across his face as they did. "I think that could be arranged Uragirimono-san. In fact I could likely reallocate some of the village funding to allow for you to be paid for your services." As he spoke, the Hokage reached inside his desk and pulled out a formal looking scroll which he unrolled. Filling it out he continued. "In addition to this tutoring, I believe there is someone else who should like to meet you. It may take some time for me to contact him, but if things go well it might mean more long term employment for you."

He looked up from his writing with a twinkle of mirth in his eye and a wide grin stretching the corners of his mouth. "In fact, I think your arrival in this village could be the best birthday present our young Uzumaki has ever received."

(0o0o0o0)

"Slow down Naruto!" Iruka could never help but stare in awe at the pace his student could inhale ramen. "If you keep going like that you'll get a terrible stomach ache." Naruto on the other hand just continued to savor the beautiful and delicious treat his teacher had bought him. Naruto didn't always know what to make of Iruka-sensei. Sometimes the teacher looked at him weird, like he was seeing something else beyond him. Iruka had only looked at him with the same eyes as the rest of the villagers once, when they had first met. After that day Naruto had not seen that look in his teacher's eyes, but he still felt like Iruka was seeing something other than him when they were together.

"I'll be fine sensei," Naruto said as he placed his third bowl down on the counter. He let out a contented sigh before holding it up for Teuchi to take and asked for another. He turned back to his teacher, who was still on his first bowl and asked, "So what was it you wanted to tell me about?" The happy smile on his face was tempered with curiosity as he waited.

Iruka slurped up another load of noodles, pacing himself to make sure he could put his thoughts together. "There are some things you are going to have to know about the Hyuga Clan if you are going to seek Hinata's help with your ninja training. But first I want to know some things." Naruto looked askance at his teacher as he accepted a new bowl of ramen from Ayame, who had started helping her father a few weeks ago. When he tucked into his food this time it was with less gusto, but no less enthusiasm.

"What do you want to know?" Naruto chewed slowly on his noodles while waiting for Iruka's reply.

For his part Iruka finished his first bowl and placed it aside, raising a hand to signal for another. "You said earlier that someone had told you some things that changed your mind about skipping classes and paying attention." Iruka accepted his second bowl with a polite nod at the younger girl, who blushed a little at Iruka's warm smile. "I know you don't have many people in your life, and I'd like to know who finally talked some sense into you."

Naruto paused for a moment, noodles hanging out of his mouth as he gave a garbled response. When Iruka glared disapprovingly at him he slurped up his noodles and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Sorry!" he said. "Over the break last weekend I met a really cool guy from out of town." Iruka raised an eyebrow at this and Naruto smiled. "Teuchi-jisan knows, 'cuz I met him here." Iruka looked up at the older man to see him nodding, a sober expression on his face. Turning back to his student he waited for Naruto to continue. "He said he was a traveler, and I found out he was going to sleep on the side of the road or something. He didn't have a lot of money or anything, and sleeping on the ground is terrible!" Naruto shuddered involuntarily at the thought, making Iruka wonder why Naruto would be familiar with such a thing. "So I offered to let him use my spare futon and stay with me."

Iruka barely managed not to choke on the slice of pork he'd just bitten into when he heard that his student had let a stranger into his house. After clearing his airway of obstructions he looked sharply at Naruto, "What in the world were you thinking? Did you even consider he might not be who he said he was?"

"What?" Naruto shot Iruka a look that made it clear the thought had never crossed his mind. Then the boy brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head in contemplation. "Now that you mention it Itansha-niisan said the same thing when I said he could stay with me." Then he shrugged and went back to his ramen. Iruka goggled at his young charge and placed one palm on his head. How could Naruto be so... Iruka mentally grasped for the right word for a few moments before it crashed down on him.

Innocent.

Naruto was innocent. Iruka had been struggling for the past year with his appointment as Naruto's homeroom teacher. Beyond the pain that he associated with what Naruto was, Iruka had always seen more of himself in the boy than he'd ever wanted to. He had clung desperately to the perception that the other villagers had for some time, not wanting to believe that Naruto could be anything other than a demon incarnate to be hated and feared. But as the realization of the boy's innocence dawned on him Iruka could only hate himself for his shortsightedness. If the Nine-Tails had as much influence on Naruto as the other villagers feared, there was no way he could be so innocent.

Iruka fought back the frustrated and guilty tears that began to well up in his eyes as he watched Naruto happily gobble down his ramen. There would be time for self loathing later. "Okay Naruto," he continued, "Perhaps I could meet this 'Itansha' later, but for now I'll move on to my next question." Naruto nodded as his face momentarily disappeared behind his bowl. "What made you think of asking Hinata for help and not one of the other students?"

Naruto crossed his arms and his face took on a thoughtful frown. As he sat there he started to tap his chopsticks against his side. "I'm not sure really." Naruto looked up at his teacher with confused eyes, "I never really paid that much attention to Hinata before. Itansha-niisan told me that asking for help shouldn't be seen as a weakness and when I told him that most of the adults won't help me he said I should ask one of my classmates." Iruka nodded, noting that it was not something the Academy often considered, as most shinobi candidates could go and talk to parents or relatives when there was something they didn't get. "I was thinking about that a lot this morning when I came to class. At first I was thinking I'd ask Sakura or Shikamaru for help. They're both smart, but Shikamaru would say it's too bothersome and Sakura would probably tell me to get lost."

"Why not Shino or Sasuke?" Iruka interjected just to see what Naruto would say.

Naruto blanched. "Gah! Shino's creepy, he always talks in that weird voice and I catch him staring at bugs all the time." Naruto puffed out his cheeks in a sign of disgust. "Sasuke is just a jerk! I know something bad happened to his family a couple of years ago, but that doesn't give him the right to be such a stuck up prick to everyone."

Iruka shook his head, having expected an answer along those lines. Though he was a little surprised that Naruto was insightful enough to know that Sasuke's behavior had something to do with _that_ event. "Okay. Go on."

"Then this morning Hinata came in and I had to think about who she was. I couldn't figure it out before you said something, and that really bothered me." Naruto began slurping his noodles again once Teuchi placed another bowl in front of him. It took a few seconds for him to continue as he was careful not to talk with his mouth full again. "I kinda watched her in class today too. It was kinda hard to tell sometimes 'cuz she kept hiding her face," he absently brushed his own blonde bangs out of his face. "But it looked like she seemed to just get everything the teachers said, and she gets high scores on tests and homework all the time."

Naruto's head drooped for a few moments as he seemed to think, before a small smile crossed his lips. "But what really made me wonder," he said, "Was when she lied to get me out of trouble today." Iruka found himself surprised once again by his student. Naruto had picked up on such a subtle thing at this young age?

It was curious, the more Iruka thought about it. While the other students didn't hate Naruto, they didn't seem to particularly like him either. Iruka knew that most of this had to do with the attitude that the other villagers took with Naruto, but the boy had a way of being difficult that didn't always endear him to others. Hinata had never seemed to jump on the bandwagon when Naruto was being ridiculed by some of the more abrasive children, but Iruka had never found any sign that she was overly fond of him either. But she had covered for Naruto twice that day and it made Iruka wonder how Hinata did feel about him.

"At any rate," Iruka put down his second bowl of ramen as he spoke, "Do you know much about the Hyuga Clan?" Naruto shook his head slowly, trying not to fling broth everywhere as he ate. Iruka blew a breath out of his nose and drew himself up into what many of the students called the 'lecture pose'. "The Hyuga Clan is one of the oldest clans in Konoha. They joined the village shortly after the Senju and Uchiha clans joined forces to create the village." Iruka peeked down at Naruto to make sure he was paying attention, and when he saw that he had the boy's full awareness he continued. "The Hyuga value tradition and respect over all else, so when you deal with a Hyuga they expect to be taken seriously and treated with the highest regard."

"What do you mean sensei?" Naruto mumbled through his stuffed mouth, making Iruka glare at him once more. Naruto swallowed with a mumbled 'sorry'.

"It means they have a lot of pride and stand on formality. When you speak to a Hyuga, especially one from the main house, you need to show them respect. If you are going to study with Hinata, you need to make sure the other members of her clan don't see you as unworthy." When Iruka saw the frown on Naruto's face he jumped ahead to prevent misunderstandings. "Hinata seems like a kind girl, and I don't think she would look down on you." Iruka made sure to look Naruto directly in the eyes so that he could impress the importance of what he was saying into the boy's stubborn mind. "Other Hyuga Clan members can be a little stuck up. I know it's not something you're used to, and it's definitely something you're not going to like doing, but you have to be polite and respectful in the presence of the other Hyuga."

Naruto nodded, but there was a troubled look in his eyes. "I don't know Iruka-sensei," he said, "I don't really like those kinds of people."

Iruka crossed his arms and sighed. "Hyuga can be stuffy and unlikable people sometimes, and not many like dealing with their 'holier than thou' attitude. It's something that's plagued their clan for generations from what I understand." Iruka put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and sought once again to impress the importance of his words onto his student. "But they are a powerful influence in the village. Even if people don't like them very much, they respect them because they have done much for the village and they've been in Konoha from almost the beginning. It's much better to have the Hyuga on your side than have them against you, okay?"

Naruto moaned, but nodded his understanding. "If you say so sensei."

"Good," Iruka turned back to order one more bowl for himself, which Ayame hand delivered to him. "I think it would be best if you approached Hinata during one of the free periods your class has tomorrow. Try not to surprise her, she's always been a bit shy and you don't want to scare her. Your brand of enthusiasm can be a bit abrasive at times." Naruto shot him a confused glance and Iruka rolled his eyes before clarifying. "Make sure she sees you coming and keep your voice below a shout. You might shock her otherwise."

Comprehension dawned on Naruto's face and he slurped up the last of his sixth bowl of ramen. "Okay sensei. I'll try to remember that." Then he hopped down from his stool and gave Iruka a wide grin. "Thanks for the ramen sensei! I'll see you in class tomorrow." Iruka watched as he dashed off into the streets and his thoughts turned inward. Guilt washed over him as he toyed with the remains of his third bowl and he sighed.

After a few moments of silence Iruka stood up and pulled out enough ryo to pay for the nine bowls he and Naruto had shared, giving it to Ayame before heading out. He had a bit more work to do before he could call it a day, but he was certain he would have a hard time focusing. His emotions roiled thought him like a storm, and he knew he had much to atone for where Naruto was concerned.

(0o0o0o0)

Hiashi looked on as his two young daughters trained in their private room of the clan dojo. Hanabi was diligently performing her jyuken kata as quickly as her four year old body could manage. Hanabi had already shown much promise in spite of her young age. He was proud of her, but he knew that her progress spelled rough times ahead for his little family. His father and the other clan elders were always watching his progeny with eyes Hiashi did not like, sizing the girls up in ways he did not approve. As he shifted his gaze to his eldest daughter he thought mournfully of his long deceased brother and how the 'traditions' of the clan had stolen his precious kin from him. He had to suppress a sigh as he watched Hinata spar with her instructor, a minor main house member that showed much technical promise if not much else.

Hinata had said years ago that she wished to be kind like her mother, and strong like her father. Watching her now he had no doubt she had achieved the former, she looked and acted so much like his dear late Haruko that it pained him to look at her at times. That kindness would have been looked upon as an asset in any other family and any other profession, but Hiashi feared that her inherited gentle nature would cause her more pain as a Hyuga and a ninja. The coming years did not bode well for Hinata if she could not strengthen her resolve.

Outsiders did not understand the traditional attitude the Hyuga presented to the world at large. The Hyuga valued the disciplined composed sort of order that would project the quiet dignity of the clan at large. Such practices had been maintained even after the end of the Warring Clan's Period of shinobi history where many other families had discarded some of the more strict customs. Civilians often saw the careful composure of the Hyuga as arrogance and aloofness, their discipline as cruelty, and the order they practiced as a closed mindedness of the worst kind. Shinobi understood better the discipline but still misinterpreted the composure and order as some kind of superiority complex and a refusal to reexamine outdated views. To Hiashi's utter consternation the elders, his father included, did nothing to dissuade the outside world of these misconceptions as they viewed them as a weapon in their own right against the enemies of the clan.

The clan traditionally taught that praise was an unnecessary thing, sought only by the weak of will and undeserving. Where some branch members could reasonably be overlooked in their dealing with their own children, as a member of the main house Hiashi could find no such leeway. He could not let the elders catch him 'coddling' one of his daughters – his and his brother's own upbringing had been even more stern than what Hinata and Hanabi were being put through. Though Hinata was by no means weak, her forms were near perfect on their own and faltered only in comparison to a more experienced combatant, he could do no more than push her be better with every misstep. Yet Hanabi seemed to be able to endure this harsh environment much better than her sister, perhaps taking more after him than his dear Haruko.

He watched as Hinata practiced her jyuuken against her instructor and was inwardly proud of just how far she had come in just a few short years. He kept his face neutral so as not to give his thoughts away in the presence of another, and contemplated Hinata's true 'weakness'. In the few times she had sparred with her cousin Neji, she had hesitated to strike when openings appeared in his guard. Many regarded this as ineptitude or outright stupidity, but Hiashi knew that Hinata could not bear to think of hurting her family. She and Neji had never been truly close due to the hostility the older boy harbored toward the main house of their clan. It was a shame that he bore in the quiet recesses of his soul that his brother had died in his place. Worse still was that Neji could not understand the reasons behind his father's death, because the decision had been made to spare him the truth until he had matured. Hiashi knew that this was a mistake, but he deferred to the elder's wishes even in this.

"Enough." He said it just loud enough to be heard. All motion subsided quickly and with a polite bow the instructor took his leave. His daughters turned to look at him, Hanabi with patience and curiosity and Hinata with apprehension and fear. Hiashi silently quailed at the way his eldest daughter nearly cringed away from him. Her eyes were pointed down and he shoulders tense, afraid of the words he would speak. "Hinata," he said, "Look at me." Her eyes raised to meet his and the resignation in them stabbed at his heart. His daughters meant the world to him and yet his eldest saw nothing in him but unyielding disappointment. He silently cursed the 'Hyuga propriety' that was by now second nature to him.

"I have been informed that your marks at the academy have been improving. I hope that you continue to perform well, but your taijutsu needs some improvement." Hinata shrank into herself as he spoke, though she was careful not to let her eyes fall as he knew she wanted. "Your stance is far too defensive and your attacks lack force. The Jyuken is an offensive style and while physical strength is not required there must be a strength of purpose behind your strikes. This will allow a skilled jyuken practitioner to control the flow of battle and claim victory." His words seemed to weigh Hinata down as if a thousand pounds had been strapped suddenly to her back.

"Yes father," was her quiet reply.

"Practice your kata for another hour and then return to your room for cool down exercises and study. Dinner will be ready by sundown." Hinata bowed and retreated to the far end of the room to resume her training. He watched her for a moment before turning his attention back to his youngest daughter. Hanabi was watching her sister intently, and Hiashi knew that she loved and admired her sister dearly. Hinata was the only link to their mother she had, and while the two did not often have time to spend together he knew they enjoyed that time immensely. "Hanabi," he pulled her attention to him. "You have done well in your training, strive to become a great ninja and bring honor to the Hyuga clan." She nodded quietly, too young yet to truly understand but old enough to know the importance of the words if not their meaning. "Return to your room now and perform your cool down exercises. Study until you are called for dinner." She silently nodded and glanced back at Hinata before exiting the room.

Hiashi exited the dojo not long after and his thoughts wandered as he walked an out of the way path back to his home. As clan head he needed to do what was best for the clan, even against the wishes of the elders if necessary. However, he knew that reality was vexing in its complexity compared to that simple thought. Tradition was a stifling thing at times, and while the order it preserved was right an proper in the minds of those that had come before, Hiashi wondered if it was now slowly strangling the life from his clan.

The Hyuga were essentially the last of the old guard in Konoha. The Senju had all but diffused into the ether, the only surviving heir gone from the village and too old to continue the line. The Uchiha had met its untimely demise barely two years prior, though at least there was hope that it would resurface after a few generations through it's final heir. The founding clans were all but gone, and the Hyuga now held the fine distinction of being the oldest clan to survive within Konoha's walls. How long, Hiashi wondered, until they met their own downfall?

The path he had taken lead past a small clearing in the wood at the outer edge of the compound, and it would take him some time to return to his office at home. He had planned perhaps to spend a few moments of contemplation in the clearing, but as he approached he could hear the sounds of exertion from within. Hiashi stopped at the edge of the clearing to find his nephew Neji forcefully practicing a number of advanced jyuken kata on his own, pouring relentlessly through the forms as if possessed. He watched for a few moments, intending to move on before he could be seen, but Neji jerked to a stop quite suddenly.

He turned to Hiashi, a smoldering look flashed across his byakugan as it deactivated, and he bowed shortly before stiffly walking away toward the branch family section of the compound. Hiashi's thoughts became dark as he turned to resume his walk home. The Senju had entrusted the village with the Will of Fire and their descendants were apparent only in the traits of numerous but scattered families. The Uchiha had been laid low by pride and hubris, left to the mercy of two brothers who's lives revolved around vengeance.

The Hyuga would be drowned in its own tradition of hatred, and he was not sure if there was anything he could do to stop it.

"Have we already passed the point of no return?" Hiashi's dark thoughts accompanied him back to his office, and he did not show up for dinner that night.

(0o0o0o0)

A/N: Sorry about the time. I work retail now and this time of year leaves us feeling drained and numb. I tried to realistically portray the Hyuga in this chapter. I didn't want to go to the extremes that some authors do, but I didn't want to 'fix' them right off the bat either. I wanted to put forth the idea of the Hyuga being a 'traditionalj' sort of clan that clung to the old ways. I wanted to suggest that the old ways are killing the clan, and as the clan head Hiashi would have doubts about how this affects his children. I've never seen him as heartless, because a heartless person would not care so deeply about his family as Hiashi is shown to care for his brother. Tradition does silly things to people's heads and I wanted to show how this would affect the Hyuga clan.

Beyond that, this fic will probably have a slow burn. I'll try to get chapters out as I'm happy with them. My time off is going to be weird until the new year is over, so don't expect a lot of updates until then. I want this fic to be the best it can be, but it's also a writing exercise for me. I've challenged myself to try to keep to the cannon time frames for everything, so I'll be doing a lot of research into ages and where certain characters are at certain points in the story. There are crucial plot points in the story I don't want to change for important reasons. I'm trying to capture the Naruto story as I see it, and change it in a way that is unique and interesting to read.

Let me know what you think

~ Alan Quicksilver


	6. Connections

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait on this one. I try my best to make sure my chapters are good and ready before posting them and the last ones have left me stumped lately. Working hard on the next chapter, but might take a bit to be done. Thanks for your patience and interest.

 **Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Six: Connections**_

Naruto climbed the stairs to his apartment with growing trepidation. His feet felt like lead and each step he took required more effort than the last. Ever since he'd left Iruka at the ramen stand he'd had an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. Things had gone so well since his birthday that he couldn't help but feel that any moment everything could just evaporate. He hated to admit it to himself, but he had never in his life been so happy. It scared him a little to think of what it would feel like to go back to his lonely existence. The thought made him shudder.

Naruto wondered if perhaps Sasuke felt this way when he thought about his family these last two years. His intestines tied themselves in knots at the thought of something bad happening to to his niisan, or Sandaime-jiji now that he thought about it. How much worse would it be if someone he trusted made that bad thing happen? Itansha had promised that he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, but what if the ninja drove him out of the village before he could. The pressure from all of these thoughts was becoming unbearable, it was no wonder Sasuke always looked so sour.

He was almost sick with worry when he took the last step onto the landing where the door to his apartment stood. His eyes were glued to the floor, and he was afraid to look up. He wasn't sure why the thought of no one being there scared him so much. No one had been there before, and Itansha hadn't said anything about meeting him at his apartment, but Naruto found himself terrified that there would only be empty space waiting for him once again. He was so absorbed in his thoughts and distracted by the terrible feeling that he might be alone again that Naruto failed to notice there was another person on the landing.

"Naruto?" The sound of his name startled him and his head jerked up almost of its own accord. There was Itansha giving him a concerned look and without knowing why Naruto began to tear up. He tried to stifle his tears, but they had started flowing and he couldn't find a way to stop them. His nii-san's concern grew and Naruto jumped at him, grabbing him around the middle and causing them both to fall to the floor. Naruto sobbed for a few moments burying his face into Itansha's threadbare shirt, the pressure of his melancholy thoughts at it's peak as he clung to the man who had become his brother.

Then he farted, and all the pressure dissolved from his body and mind.

"Naruto?" Itansha was giving him that same concerned look, now laced with a touch of confusion. "Is everything okay?" Naruto let go of him and they both stood, and he took a few moments to dry his face.

"Everything's fine nii-san," he said. "I was just thinking a lot about stuff on my way back here and was really happy you were waiting for me." Naruto gave Itansha a beaming smile and the older man sighed, both relieved and a bit embarrassed.

"The things you were thinking about must have been intense, it took me three tries to get your attention." Naruto's smile faltered a little at that, but it was back in full force when he replied.

"None of that matters now nii-san," he said. "Were home now and everything's fine!" Naruto pulled out his keys and let them into the small apartment. Once inside Itansha sat his bag in a corner and went to the cabinets to start preparing dinner. As savory smells began to fill the kitchen Naruto retreated into his bedroom. He scurried over to the new chest of drawers he had bought to replace the old rot infested dresser that he'd been using.

He pulled the second to last drawer open and reached underneath. After a moment or two of fumbling around he pulled something out and gently closed the drawer again. He returned to the kitchen where he sat quietly at the table, fidgeting with the small item clutched in his hand. Itansha finished cooking and placed a plate in front of him, but Naruto found himself too nervous to eat. When he didn't immediately dig in, Itansha gave him a questioning look.

Naruto didn't say anything. He just sat staring at his clenched fist, a nervous look on his face. A few moments passed and Itansha swallowed his mouthful of rice, a smile gracing his face. "I almost forgot to tell you with all that commotion outside the door." At this Naruto did look up with a questioning look of his own. "I got to speak with Hokage-sama today."

"Really?" Naruto's voice seemed shaky, but curious. Itansha took this as a sign to keep talking.

"Yes," he quickly took a bite of the tempura he'd prepared, chewing quickly. "We talked about some things," he said as he swallowed, "I asked for permission to keep teaching you and he not only agreed, but offered to pay me as well!" Naruto took that in for a moment and a large grin split his face and his eyes lit up.

He jumped up with a shout, "Niisan that's awesome!" Then he held up his fist and extended it towards Itansha. "If you're going to be staying in the village for a while, you'll need a place to stay right?" Itansha nodded thoughtfully. "Then take this!" Naruto opened his hand to show a small silver key.

"Is that-"

"It's one of my spare keys." Naruto cut Itansha off in mid sentence. "If you're gonna stay in the village you should stay here with me. With this key you can get into and out of the apartment if you need to."

Itansha hesitated for a moment, "Are you sure about this Naruto?"

"Absolutely!" Naruto continued to hold out the key between them and all the while his smile never faltered. Itansha shook his head and smiled as well, then he reached out and took the key from Naruto's hand.

"Alright then." Naruto cheered and plopped back down into his chair with a laugh, digging into his tempura and rice with gusto.

The two of them spent the rest of the evening chatting about the events of the day, Itansha left out his interrogation so that Naruto wouldn't worry. Before they went to bed, they began to lay out a schedule for Naruto's disguise lessons. As Naruto fell asleep that night, he could not help the smile that crept across his face.

(0o0o0o0)

Naruto sat in his customary seat on the swing outside of the academy. Unlike all the times before, he had been scanning the grounds outside the building looking for a specific person. His class had two free periods that day and Naruto resolved to find Hinata and speak with her as soon as possible, so after the bell had rung to let them out he had rushed to the swing as it had a good vantage point of the rest of the grounds that the students would be using. Naruto's eyes swept across the yard several times before they locked onto his target. He had spied Hinata sitting alone under a tree in the corner of the fenced in portion of the academy grounds.

He jumped off the swing and hurried over to approach her, making it half way there before his teacher's advice popped into his head. His steps slowed and he changed his course so that he would be within her field of vision as he approached. Fortunately, walking through the grass provided enough noise on its own. Forced to slow down from his normal breakneck pace he started to notice a few things in his approach. First was that Hinata was sitting alone, most other girls hung around in groups and pairs that chattered and giggled, but she was alone. As he moved closer he also noticed that she had her knees pulled up to her chest and her shoulders were faintly shaking.

He stopped abruptly as he realized she was crying. He stood about five yards away from the pale, dark haired girl and wondered worriedly if he should still approach her. On one hand he knew that some people liked to be alone when they were feeling sad or upset, and Hinata might not appreciate him intruding on her. On the other hand Naruto remembered many times when he had been sad or upset and wished only for someone to come and make things better, to show him he wasn't alone. He hovered there as he weighed the options in his mind. As he watched her sob quietly, a part of him knew what he needed to do without even a thought.

Before he was conscious of it he was moving again and he closed the distance quickly. He took a seat next to her, far enough away that no one could accuse him of being a pervert but within arms reach, and just sat there. She sobbed for a few more moments before she looked up with a loud sniff, her cheeks tinted faintly pink. Naruto didn't say anything or make any moves or gestures, he only smiled at her. The pink in her cheeks grew a little, but after a moment a smile of her own began tugging at her lips as well. As he watched her face brighten, he felt a kind of tightness in his chest that he didn't understand. He stubbornly shoved that feeling away and resolved to ask his niisan about it later.

After a few more moments of silence Hinata spoke, "What are you d-doing here Naruto-san?" She still had her knees drawn up to her chest and she partially hid her face behind them. Naruto stared at her for a moment, still fighting down that feeling in his chest, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well..." he said hesitantly, "I was wondering if you could help me with something?" Her eyes widened at that and she turned her head away. Naruto's heart dropped into his stomach and he prepared to get up, but before he could move she spoke again.

"I don't know if a weak person like me could help someone like you..." she trailed off, and Naruto's chest tightened in that way once again. She shook her head, "I could try though, if you want." She still wasn't looking at him, but it didn't seem like she was ignoring him. That alone made him happy.

"Yeah!" Naruto said, his voice shooting up to his normal boisterous level for a moment, causing Hinata's head to snap around, a surprised look in her pearl white eyes. "You got a perfect score on the test last week and I thought since you're so smart you could help me with my bunshin technique." She seemed to take a moment, trying to make sense of his breathless statement. The pink returned to her cheeks when she deciphered his compliment, and she nodded shyly.

"O-okay then," she said, "Is there a part you don't understand?" She let her legs spread out until she was sitting comfortably and rested her head against the trunk of the tree. Naruto hummed in thought and ran one of his hands through his wild hair. He could feel Hinata watching him out of the corner of his eye and it was slightly distracting. Concentrating he focused on what he knew about the technique.

"I understand the hand signs and I can build my catra up fine, but when I try to make the bunshin it just comes out all pale and sick looking." He crossed his arms and humphed. Just thinking about how bad one of his bunshin looked made him feel sour. He looked up when he heard Hinata giggle, and he saw her hiding her mouth with her hand.

"I think you meant to say _chakra_." she said. "My family's dojutsu could help, but I haven't learned how to activate it yet, father says that I would need to build up my chakra reserves before I can use it." Naruto's shoulders slumped at that. "But chakra has a certain feel to it that most people can feel if they know what to look for. I've learned how to feel chakra, and even though I'm not a sensor type I am pretty good at it." She gestured to him and said, "Could you try the technique now?"

Naruto nodded and stood, wondering how a person could learn to feel chakra. He formed the hand seals – Ram, Snake, and Tiger – then, once his chakra was built up he released the energy and there was a puff of smoke. It cleared to show one pale, almost stark white, clone that just barely looked like him. He released the technique and sighed mournfully. He looked back at Hinata to find her staring at him with wide eyes and a shocked expression. Kami, even she thought it was terrible, maybe she would refuse to help him now that she could see how bad it was.

"N-Naruto-san!" She exclaimed and Naruto cringed, waiting for her to tell him to go away. "How much chakra are you using when you make a bunshin?" He looked back at her, surprised that she hadn't sent him away. Stunned for a moment he almost forgot that she had asked a question.

"Uh.." he thought for a second, "I dunno. I just build my chakra until I feel like I have enough to do it. I'm not putting a lot into it I don't think." He looked at her and her shock just grew when she heard his answer. She was silent for a while and he wasn't sure what to make of it. "What's wrong Hinata?"

That seemed to startle her back to the present and she frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. "That much is only a little bit for you?" Naruto arched an eyebrow at her comment.

"What do you mean 'that much'?" He couldn't figure out what she was trying to say.

She looked up at him and for the first time looked directly into his eyes. It felt weird, but kind of good, and his chest tightened again. He really needed to ask Itansha-niisan why that kept happening. Then she spoke, and broke his little trance. "The amount of chakra you used, I've only felt that much when my father or one of the clan elite practice their jutsu. You just put enough chakra into a simple bunshin to power a B-rank technique!"

Naruto's jaw dropped. He didn't think that could be true, but he didn't think Hinata would lie to him. To him, it only felt like he was putting a little chakra into the bunshin. He had almost been worried he hadn't been putting enough chakra into it until now. Maybe, he thought, that was why it had taken him so long to get the hang of the henge. Once he had figured it out, the technique was effortless and he barely had to put any chakra into it. Perhaps it only felt that way because he had more chakra than he needed. "So what should I do?" he asked her.

Hinata shook her head and looked back at him. "You have to reduce the amount of chakra you build up before completing the technique. Then make sure that you control that energy as it releases so that none of it is wasted." He nodded at her explanation, he found that listening to the words was easier when talking to Hinata. Maybe it was because she talked so softly. Or it could have been because she didn't seem to get mad at him when he made a mistake. He felt like he truly understood what she was saying, and she had just told him that he needed to control his chakra.

"Wait," he said as what she had said sunk in, and he balked hard. "CHAKRA CONTROL? But those exercises are so BORING!" He knew he was whining, but he couldn't help it, chakra control exercises were the most boring thing in the world, even more boring than lectures. He knew he shouldn't pout, it was unmanly, but he heard Hinata giggling again. That made him feel better.

"Don't worry Naruto-san," she said, "I can help you with your control if you want. My clan's fighting style requires a lot of control over our chakra, it's one of my best skills." Naruto brightened immediately.

"Thanks Hinata-chan!" Her face went pink again, this time much deeper than before. Naruto wondered if she had some kind of condition that made her face do that. But before he could think on it any longer a bell chimed and the students began walking back toward the doors to return to class. On the way back into the building, Naruto watched Hinata walk a few paces ahead of him and he started to feel warm inside. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a friend.

(0o0o0o0)

Inu stood in front of the Hokage's desk patiently in the 'at attention' pose, his back straight, shoulders square, joints tense and awaiting orders. His mask was secured to his face and though two eye holes were present, only one eye could be seen through the hole on the left side. The request for him had been sudden and unexpected, but no more than if he was taking any other mission. Since the matter of Naruto's guest had been resolved and it was several days past his birthday, he had been taken off of ANBU detail for the young boy as it had been reduced to it's normal 'at will' level. He would not be watched actively unless circumstances required it and all shinobi above a certain rank would keep an eye out as necessary while on patrol rounds.

Inu waited patiently for the Hokage to look up from his desk and after a few moments he did so, motioning for him into an 'at ease' stance. He relaxed, but not visibly, as the Hokage spoke. "I have a mission for you Inu-san." Inu nodded faintly in response. "In fact I have two missions for you, but the second will have to wait until you return from the first." Inu simply waited for his instructions. The Sandaime held up an official looking scroll and showed it to him, before taking the scroll and sealing it into a standard storage scroll. This he held out for Inu to take.

Without hesitation Inu strode forward and took the scroll in hand, then retreated to his previous position. "The first mission is to go to Otafuku Gai. You will find the spymaster and exchange this scroll with another he will provide. Return promptly and you will start your new mission directly after debriefing." Inu nodded and turned to leave on his mission, having enough information to complete the task, but the Hokage stopped him. "When you return, you will no longer be Inu of ANBU."

In an uncharacteristic act of insubordination Inu turned back to the Sandaime and took in a breath as if to speak. Before he could say a word the Hokage gave him a serious look that stifled his arguments immediately. "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. When you return from this mission you will hand in your mask and report for ANBU unloading procedures. We will speak again only when this is complete."

Inu simply bowed and left.

Sarutobi puffed at his pipe a few moments before deciding that he was, in fact. alone. Taking an extra long drag he blew out a stream of smoke that vaguely took the shape of a bird. "I'm sorry Kakashi, but I can't let you destroy yourself in ANBU any longer." He spoke mostly to himself, but also to the young man who had just left his office. "Your skills are needed to shape the next generation of shinobi. I had not planned to take you from ANBU for another year or so yet, but recent events have forced my hand."

Hiruzen stood and walked over to the window that faced out over the village once more. "In a few short years you will be the best person to take on a certain student, and perhaps another if things go well. I need you whole and focused." He turned from the window and called out, "Raidou!"

A shock of black hair and a young face poked in through the office door. "Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Get me Yamanaka Kaitsuu. I think it may be time to implement some of Tsunade's old proposals."

"Right away Hokage-sama."

With that Hiruzen was alone again, and he looked out across the village once more as the sun lowered towards the horizon. His thoughts were churning in a way that reminded him of his younger days. Much had transpired since October Tenth. Much was yet to be done.


	7. Feelings

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Seven: Feelings**_

Naruto walked over to where Itansha was seated in the clearing where they held their disguise lessons. Itansha had sent him to practice different styles of movement in an exercise he called a 'walk cycle'. Naruto had spent that time not only practicing, but also thinking to himself. He had always wanted to ask about things he noticed, and now that he had someone who might answer them, he had decided to take advantage of it. Itansha was sitting under the same tree as before with a scroll unfurled in front of him on the grass. The scroll was neatly written and the letters were small, he didn't recognize many of the words so he shrugged and tapped lightly on Itansha's shoulder. The young man looked up from the scroll and smiled. "All done with the exercises I gave you?"

Naruto nodded and fidgeted for a moment before charging ahead with his plan. "Itansha-nii-san?"

"Yes?" he asked with a smile.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Naruto felt a some heat rise to his face, but he did his best to quash the uneasy feeling that was bubbling up inside him. He needed to know. "Questions about stuff not related to ninja or disguises."

Itansha ran a hand through his flyaway hair and shrugged, "Sure. I'll do the best I can." Naruto felt a lot of emotions then, some of which he didn't understand, but most of them good.

"Okay," he took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. "I always have lots of questions I want to ask people, but most people ignore me and the few people – like Jiji and Iruka-sensei and Teuchi-jiisan – are busy and can't answer them for me, so I want to ask you about them so I can know and stuff." Itansha's mind spun for a moment as he processed Naruto's breathless spiel and he nodded in understanding after a moment. Then Naruto went on. "So I've been trying real hard to pay attention in school and not fall asleep 'n stuff, but sometimes I feel like my brain gets all fuzzy and I gotta fight real hard to figure out what the teachers are saying. Why is that?"

Itansha took another moment to decipher what he dubbed 'Naruto Speak' in his own head. He rolled up the scroll and thought carefully about the issue at hand. "Well," he started, "There are a few reasons why you might have a hard time focusing in class." After placing the scroll back in his sack he asked, "Can you tell me when it's hardest to keep listening?"

Naruto closed one eye as he squinted in thoughtful concentration, absently rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "I keep getting fuzzy and tired when the teachers are giving lectures. No matter what I do all that talking just makes me want to get out of my seat and move around, or take a nap like Shikamaru."

Itansha scratched his chin and hummed idly. "When is is easiest to pay attention?"

Without any hesitation he blurted out, "When we're doing physical stuff like shuriken and sparring and running and stuff." Then he slowed down, a discouraged look sliding across his face, "But I'm not very good at shuriken and kunai throwing, and I always seem to get paired up with that jerk Sasuke for spars. I know I could beat him if he played fair..."

Itansha nodded and crossed his arms across his chest. "It seems to me that you have an easier time learning things when you get to work directly with whatever is being taught. That's usually called 'hands on' learning." Naruto nodded, but still looked vaguely confused, so he went on. "You learn best by doing things instead of reading or listening. You like it better when you can see and touch and feel the things you are trying to learn." An enthusiastic 'Yeah!' was the response to that explanation.

"So maybe if you're having trouble with something in class, you can ask someone to help you understand it." Naruto was nodding along with the words when an image of Hinata crossed his mind, and he started feeling lots of unfamiliar things again. His chest started to feel tight like before and he clutched at it a little.

"Um," he said, "Itansha-nii-san, I've been asking this girl in my class to help me with stuff since you told me that I should, and she's really nice and stuff, but sometimes when she's talking to me I feel weird and my chest hurts 'n stuff." Naruto's felt the heat rush to his face again, but this time it was almost a nice feeling and he turned away from his nii-san, unsure of how to deal with it.

Itansha smiled and placed his chin in his hand, elbow resting on his thigh. He watched as Naruto squirmed on the spot, obviously confused and unsure of himself. "I see. Does it feel bad?"

Naruto hesitated, then in an uncharacteristically quiet voice he said, "No."

"Oh?" Itansha's smile stretched even wider across his face. "Do you want her to stop?" Naruto's eyes went wide and he said "NO!" quite forcefully, and seemed startled by his own outburst. Itansha reached out and placed his other hand on the boy's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I can tell you what all of that means, but I'm not sure you will understand it yet." He motioned for Naruto to sit, and when he plopped down beside him, continued. "I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to give me honest answers. Okay?"

Naruto nodded.

"Do you know what love is?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow at his nii-san, but answered.

"I guess. Isn't it when you have people who are close to you, like friends and family?"

"Yes and no." At Naruto's nonplussed gaze, he elaborated. "There are different kinds of love. One kind is what you feel for your parents or siblings. The kind you feel for your friends is similar, but feels different." Naruto nodded along, seeming to slowly grasp the concept. "And then there is the love you have for a pet or animals." Naruto nodded again. "But there is a special kind of love."

"Oh! What kind of love is that?" he was bouncing in the grass and leaning forward slightly as he asked.

"We'll get to that in a moment." Itansha said, "First, are there any girls you like?"

"I like Sakura-chan, 'cuz she's pretty and smart and stuff!" The reply rocketed from Naruto's mouth with a huge grin to accompany it, but it faded after a moment into a softer smile. "I like Hinata-chan too, 'cuz she's really nice. She's smart and even thought she's got weird eyes and stutters, I think she's kinda pretty too. Hinata-chan never hits me neither. I think I like that a lot."

"Does Sakura hit you?" Itansha's voice took on a not of concern, and he frowned slightly.

Naruto shrugged, "She hits me a lot when I try to talk to her, but I don't get why. She and a lot of the other girls always take that jerk Sasuke's side whenever we fight, and even if he's the one who started it they still hit me 'n stuff." He sighed and slumped a little as he thought back, absently placing his hand atop his head.

"I take it you and Sasuke fight a lot." Naruto huffed something that sounded like 'yeah'. "I see. That tells me a lot."

Naruto looked up at him, "It does?"

"Uh-huh. I just need to ask one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"How do you feel when you talk to Sakura?"

Naruto scratched his head, "I dunno. When I talk to Sakura I just want to get her attention and make her look at me. I never really thought about how I feel." He hummed a bit, "I guess I just get mad that she and the other girls are always making googly eyes at Jerkwad." He shrugged.

Itansha leaned back, bracing himself in the grass with his hands spread out behind him. He spent a moment staring up at the sky through the leaves of the tree and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and then turned back to Naruto, opening his eyes once more. "I'll give you some advice."

Naruto nodded vigorously, this was what he had been hoping for. "Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"I think that whenever you don't understand something, you should ask whichever one of your classmates you think would be able to explain it too you the best. When you do, ask them to show you so it's easier for you." Itansha waited for Naruto's assent – which he gave grudgingly – before going on. "I also think that you should try to ignore Sasuke as much as possible, and don't talk to Sakura unless you have to."

"Wait a sec!" Naruto jumped to his feet and put his hands up in front of him, palms out. "There's no way I can do that. If I ignore Sasuke I'll never be able to prove I'm better than him and he'll keep being a stupid jerk. And how am I gonna get Sakura to like me if I don't talk to her ever?"

Itansha held up a finger and wagged it back and forth in front of him. "You have to trust me Naruto-san. I spent a lot of time studying people as part of my training. My mentor insisted that I know as much about how people think as possible to be good at my disguises. His teachings haven't failed me yet, and I'm passing them on to you." Itansha stood up as well and dusted off his trousers as he spoke. "It may be hard, but I think things will change if you take my advice."

Naruto crossed his arms and gave a disgruntled snort in response but ultimately sighed, "Okay." At that Itansha began gathering up their gear and he began helping out of habit.

As they started out of the clearing towards their apartment, Naruto suddenly looked up at his nii-san. "Hey! You never told me about the special love."

Itansha chuckled, "I'll tell you about that another time. It's not something you need to worry about right now."

"Aww! No fair nii-san!" Naruto began to pout, but soon forgot about it as they began discussing their dinner plans for the night.

(0o0o0o0)

Yamanaka Kaitsuu brushed down the burgundy skirt she was wearing, a match for the blouse she wore, as she waited outside the Hokage's office. She had been called upon early that morning by one of the ANBU and had been told that she needed to be at the office by a certain time. As was her custom she had arrived fifteen minutes early, and as she sat waiting on one of the chairs provided by the secretary, she could hear a booming voice failing to stay quiet behind the door. The noise was muffled, so she couldn't make out any of what was said, but it seemed that someone was making quite a fuss in the office. She adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her rather sharp nose as the door to the office suddenly sprung open.

"I'm gonna go see this guy right now!" A large man with long white hair wearing what she could only describe as outlandish gear she supposed was from a kabuki costume department. Red hakama, wooden geta, large scroll tied across his lower back, and a horned plate on his head with the kanji for oil made for a jarring sight. He stopped and looked back at the Hokage, "Not that I don't trust your judgment Old Man, but I have to make my own assessment."

"Just don't do anything foolish. The boy is benefiting from his presence, and I hope you can see that." She heard the Sandaime call as the large man walked away, leaving the door wide open. She nervously adjusted her ponytail, gathering up a few silvery strands of hair with the other blonde ones. It had been years since she'd had to speak to the Hokage, she'd been in retirement from active shinobi service for almost a decade. After a moment the Hokage spoke again. "You may come in now Yamanaka-san."

She stood from her chair, once again smoothing her skirt, before walking into the office and closing the door. "You requested my presence Hokage-sama?" She stood primly and at a semblance of attention. She might have been old by shinobi standards, but forty years wasn't terribly old.

"Yes, I hope I haven't inconvenienced you." She shook her head slightly as he took the seat behind his desk. "In light of recent events I've been re-evaluating some of the past proposals to my office. One of those proposals calls for closer monitoring and treatment of social and mental behaviors of the shinobi in service." She nodded, feeling his gaze as he looked into her silver-blue eyes. So far she had no reason to speak, so she let the Hokage continue. "I have decided to implement this program, and after searching for a qualified candidate to take on the job, your name came up. What I would like to ask is if you felt up to the task and, if so, would you take the position?"

Kaitsuu mulled that over for a moment. She had spent many years, both during and after her shinobi career studying the human mind. It had always been the most challenging puzzle she'd ever encountered and it had provided her with many an hour spent pouring over texts and analyzing behaviors among the villagers. Sadly there had been few of her friends or relatives that enjoyed the subject as much as she had. "If I might ask, Hokage-sama," she said, "What exactly would the job entail? I would enjoy the prospect of studying the behaviors of those under mental stress, but I need to understand what is expected of me."

Hiruzen nodded, "I wouldn't ask without being willing to accommodate that much, I owe you that at least for your many years of service." He picked up a folder that had been lying on his desk and handed it to her. "The bulk of the job would be to speak with and monitor the mental conditions of the more erratic of the village's shinobi. Once properly evaluated they would be under your care to treat any psychological damage or mental disorders that may present themselves. I would hope that with your expertise, we could help guide our most troubled souls back into calmer waters. Perhaps in time we could extend the practice to the civilian population as well." He folded his hands, resting his elbows on the desk, and propped his chin on them. "What do you say?"

She opened the folder and leafed through it, chewing on her bottom lip as she read, her mind furiously churning through the possibilities. There were several prominent cases presented in the folder, each piquing her interest handily. Finally, here was a chance to put her life's curiosity to greater use, and possibly expand her understanding of the subject even further. To server her village again in such a way honestly excited her. She had never married and had no children, though she loved her nieces and nephews – Ino more than most if she were honest – but she had spent so much time simply studying and analyzing that she'd almost grown bored with her life. She closed the folder and looked up at the Sandaime, a gentle smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes.

"Where do we start?"

(0o0o0o0)

"Hinata."

She stopped her jyuuken katas and turned to look at her father, a sudden dread creeping up her spine. She had known it was coming, it had only been a matter of time before they found out. She stood patiently, trying as hard as possible not to shake while she waited for the lectures that would surely come. It was bad enough that she couldn't match up against her sister, but now she would be admonished for associating with one that was below the station and standards of the Hyuuga clan.

"Please come with me, I have some things I wish to discuss with you." Her father turned and began to lead her out of the dojo. She followed him, slightly puzzled. Her father had never been shy about admonishing her in front of the others before, and she doubted that would start now. She wondered where they were going, and found herself becoming more confused as they made their way towards the edge of the compound, to a bench that sat near a copse of trees that sat near the wall on the south side. Her father sat, his hands supported by his cane that he held in front of him. He motioned for her to sit as well, and she did so.

They sat in silence for a few moments, and as she looked up at her father she noticed he would periodically flash his byakugan on and off. If she had been scared before, she was becoming even more so with this unexpected behavior from her father. What in the world could he want to discuss with her that required them to be alone? To her knowledge she hadn't been truly alone with her father in some years, probably not since her mother had passed. By the time Hiashi seemed ready to speak, she was so nervous she almost jumped when he placed one of his hands on her head.

"Hinata," he began, "Do you know why I have to be so strict with you and your sister?" His question was so far from what she had expected she was at a loss for words. She had been ready to defend herself, more ready to defy her family than any time she could remember, and it all went out the window when she heard his question.

"Um," she started, "Not really otou-sama." She looked on as he sighed, still having not removed his hand from her head.

"I see," he said. "I thought as much." Hiashi removed his hand from her head and replaced it on his cane. "As clan head, I have many responsibilities. I must ensure the continued prosperity of the House of Hyuuga, the Clan is my child as much as you are." As he spoke, Hinata could see that his face was becoming less stern and hard, and more stressed and drawn. "I have to consider all of the many ways our Clan can improve, and as the head I am responsible for the training and selection of the heir to the title."

Hinata fidgeted a bit as he continued. She had never heard her father speak this way before. She was both curious and terrified, utterly unaccustomed to seeing her father this way. He had always been this imposing figure that she had worked to appease, always falling short of the expectations set for her. To see him now as a man with great stress and responsibility on his shoulders was humbling, and reminded her that her father too was human. Suddenly, even as scared and confused as she was, she felt some of the anxiety lift from the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure exactly what her father was trying to say, but she listened intently.

"The elders of the Clan are critical of my every move, and while they have no real power over my decisions, they hold great sway among the main branch." Here she saw his eyes become hard and there was a cold fury in them that made her flinch. He must have seen, because Hiashi's eyes immediately softened. "We Hyuuga are bound to our traditions, and the older generations still hold tightly to their concept of the Hyuuga ideal. Even if I were to make a decision, while they could not stop me from enforcing it, they could make things difficult for me. More so than they already do."

Hinata was starting to understand some of the things that had plagued her mind for many years, but she still couldn't truly see where this discussion was going. Her father stopped speaking for a moment, and flashed his byakugan once more, likely checking to see if there were any eavesdroppers nearby. He frowned, then flashed his byakugan once more before shaking his head. He took a deep breath, seemingly to center himself and let out a beleaguered sigh.

"If I am pushing you so hard, it is because I want you to be strong. I would like nothing more for you to be happy, but as the head of this clan I can only push you to become the best you can be. To do any less would imply favoritism and coddling to the elders and the branch family that resents us." He gripped his cane tightly. "To succeed in my duties as a leader I constantly must fail as a father."

That admission hit Hinata like a punch to the gut. She had never expected her father to tell her these things, and it hurt so much that things had to be this way. Not for the first time she wished her mother was still alive. She had always known how to handle these tense situations, and Hinata could only do her best to hold back the tears. "I'm sorry otou-sama."

He shook his head, "There is nothing for you to be sorry for. I can only ask you to forgive me." Before she could respond to him he moved on, his face slipping back into that of stern leader. "Now I have to ask you some questions Hinata, and I want you to be as honest with me as you can, okay?"

She nodded, "Yes. Of course."

"First," he said, "I have heard that you have been assisting one of your classmates in school. Is this true?" She nodded once more, tensing slightly and readying to defend her actions. "While we do not frown upon this, we must be sure you are not giving away clan secrets. I must ask you to confirm two things," he looked into her eyes and asked, "Who are you assisting and what are you teaching them?"

Hinata drew herself up and, for once, did not look away from his stare. "I have been helping Uzumaki Naruto with his bunshin jutsu and his chakra control. He asked me for advice and I am happy to help him." She was shaking a bit, but she did her best to hold her ground. She had finally been given the chance to thank Naruto for saving her those years ago, even if he didn't remember, and she wasn't going to give that up now. "You need not worry about the clan's secrets. I promise not to teach him anything about our clan's techniques."

Hiashi nodded, and a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "I see." She waited for the reprimanding, she steeled herself for the lecture and the orders to stop helping him. Every ounce of her courage was being drawn up to spit out the defiant words she had planned to counter those orders. She knew she would be punished, but this time she couldn't let her fear stop her from helping her friend. "Do not disappoint the clan by being a poor teacher then. If you must teach him, make sure to do so properly."

Her defiant words were nearly on the tip of her tongue when she realized that her father had not ordered her to stop tutoring Naruto. For the second time that day, she lost all ability to speak due to shock. She had prepared for this moment, and had gathered all the courage she could muster. She almost visibly deflated and looked up at Hiashi with a look that screamed her confusion. She didn't know why, but she knew that most people disapproved of Naruto, and she had thought her father would be at the top of that list. As it was it looked like he was fighting back the smile that threatened to split his face.

"I am aware of the reputation Uzumaki-san has cultivated, and I know more about him than most realize." There was an amused tint to his words, which served to throw Hinata off even more. "I can not say that I strictly approve of him or his actions, but I did not become clan head simply by being born into the Main House. I know what all the other adults know of him, but I have the wisdom to judge him for what he is." Still nonplussed, she simply listened as he spoke. "Uzumaki-san is a child, and an orphan. It is no surprise that he acts the way he does in light of his situation. I do not approve of his actions, but I understand them. I also know that he has much potential, and while I have no say in his upbringing I feel that potential is being wasted." Her father looked at her, and if she wasn't mistaken she could almost see something in his eyes she didn't think she had ever seen there in regards to her.

"But if one of his peers were to help him become something greater, and if that person was a Hyuuga, they would be due any recognition that comes from supporting a potentially strong ally of the village." Hiashi looked at his daughter with pride in his eyes. It was there for only a moment, and Hinata would wonder for a long time if she had imagined it, and then it was gone. He stood from his seat and turned his back, facing in the direction they had come. Before he started walking he spoke one more time. "Return to the dojo and finish your kata. Afterward, please return to your room and meditate until dinner is ready. I have much business to see to."

Hinata sat on that bench for a few more minutes to compose herself before returning to the dojo as instructed. She would likely not get much sleep tonight, but she was glad that she had not been told to stop helping Naruto. For that she was grateful.

 **A/N:** So I've been trying hard to get myself into gear and keep this story going lately. It helps that I've been more motivated to write lately and I hope I can keep it up. I was surprised at the sheer number of veiws I got last chapter, and more so at the number of favorites and follows that I got. Those are always nice to get, and I even had a nice conversation with a reviewer who was kind enough to give me their input. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to what you might have to say about it. Just keep in mind there is a purpose behind all of this, and I will try to answer questions without giving much away for the future.

~AQ


	8. Observations

**Naruto – One Thousand Faces**

 _ **Chapter Eight: Observations**_

Itansha had sent Naruto back to the apartment to tidy up while he went shopping for the nights dinner groceries. He was eyeing a few onions that he could fry up and use in one of the dishes that night when he felt a presence beside him. Fully aware that in a village full of shinobi and it would be easy for someone to sneak up on him, he turned slowly to find a large, white haired old man standing next to him. His eclectic garb gave him pause for a moment, but his thoughts were interrupted when the man spoke to him.

"So you're the newcomer that I've heard so much about, eh?" Itansha was taken aback at the question, unsure of how to respond. Had people been talking about him? He didn't really think a new face would be that big of a topic around a shinobi village, at least with the civilians. But something about the big guy seemed off to him, and he wondered if he was also shinobi. "What brings you to Konoha if I may ask?"

Itansha gathered his wits for a moment before he spoke, taking the time to push his still flyaway hair out of his face. "I came here looking for work. I have been traveling across the continent for some time and needed to replenish my traveling funds." Trying to get back on track he picked up one of the onions and checked it over for freshness. "I managed to find some work taking care of one of the local orphans and teaching him some things in exchange for room and board, as well as a little spending money."

"Is that so?" The older man picked up a large apple from one of the baskets at the stall and handed over a few coins to the owner for it. "I see," he said before taking a large bite of his fruit. Itansha selected a few onions and a couple of carrots, thinking that maybe a mild curry would do for dinner. "And what kind of lessons would a traveler such as yourself be giving an orphan from a shinobi village?"

Itansha thought over the best way to word his reply as he looked over a few cloves of garlic. "Acting," was all he said. He heard the man take another bite of his fruit and there was a moment or two of silence as Itansha paid for his vegetables. Before he could move to leave the area however, he felt a well muscled arm slide across his shoulder and tighten ever so slightly.

"Why don't you walk with me for a bit kind sir," the old man said. "I'm curious about the experiences of such a widely traveled stranger, as I spend much of my time on the road as well." Itansha nodded slowly and carefully surveyed his surroundings. As they moved along, he noticed that many of the townsfolk were giving them a wide berth. It didn't seem to him that they noticed them, so much as they simply acted out of instinct. The old man was guiding them in a peculiar direction, away from the market district, but not to any of the areas of the village he was familiar with. They both stayed silent for a time, and Itansha wondered just where they were going.

After about ten minutes time walking however, Itansha saw something that worried him greatly. An archway hung over the entrance to the street they were approaching, hanging from it were several paper lanterns, unlit during this time of the day. What made him worry was the color of the lanterns in conjunction with the rising chuckle coming from his 'companion'. The closer they came to the entrance of that small district the more resistance Itansha was willing to exert, but to no avail. The older man was just too strong and Itansha found himself being dragged under the archway and it's red lanterns, into a tavern with provocative imagery painted on it's front.

"Are you sure we should be here sir?" Itansha's voice was shaky and filled with worry. He could feel his face heating up and his chest tightened in a particular way he was uncomfortable with.

"Why not?" the older man said, then raised his voice so that he was more audible. "Good afternoon ladies! Which of you beauties would like to have the pleasure of spending time with The Great Jiraya and one of his esteemed friends?" To Itansha's great surprise, many of the ladies serving the establishment turned with recognition in their eyes at the outburst.

They were quickly ushered to a table where Jiraya forced him to sit with that firm grip of his. It wasn't long before two buxom ladies came to the table as well. A svelte redhead took the seat next to the older man, while on Itansha's other side sat a curvy brunette with long lashes. Jiraya seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, and promptly began to pepper him with various questions.

"So kid," he began, "Where are you from?"

Unlike his companion, Itansha was not enjoying himself. "I'm from the west, somewhere in River Country I think." He had nothing against these ladies, and knew that no matter where you went there were bound to be these kinds of establishments, but he found himself highly uncomfortable.

"You think?" Jiraya snorted, "What do you mean by that?"

"I lost much of my memory from before my tenth birthday. All I know is that my village was destroyed in the Third War, and I wandered into Fire Country. Someone took care of me for a year, but I ended up wandering the continent afterward." The curvy brunette had latched onto him and while he could not deny that the contact was nice, it was hard for him to control his breathing, and his nerves were overloaded.

"Ah, that's a shame." Jiraya gave him a hearty pat on the back, which stung a little and set his heart to beating all that much faster. "So what kind of work have you done in the past?"

Itansha found himself struggling to pay attention to the older man's line of questioning and it took a few moments before he could answer. "I've had many different jobs, in many different places." He fumbled with his words a bit while the brunette brushed against him to refill his sake cup. "Most of the jobs I've taken have been manual labor, but I was once a chef aboard a ship bound for Snow Country. I also did some work at a shrine to the old gods for a year. It was an experience I won't forget."

Jiraya drained another cup of sake, and nodded a few times. "And you are a teaching acting? How did you come by that skill?" Itansha could feel his head getting fuzzier, even though he'd had very little alcohol. The closer his hostess got, the harder it was to concentrate and the more heat he felt in his face.

"My... uh..." he was starting to fade, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he became overwhelmed. "My caretaker taught me when I was placed in his home. He said it was the best chance he'd get to pass on his skills."

He honestly didn't know how long it was since they'd sat down, but all of the stimuli had become too much. His vision started fading and before too much longer, he had passed out feeling his cheek smack into the polished wood of the table. The last thing he heard before oblivion took him, was the raucous laughter of 'The Great Jiraya'.

When he next awoke he found himself on a bench outdoors. He recognized the location as one of the walking paths near where Naruto's apartment was. He slowly sat up and looked around. His bag of groceries was laying next to the bench and he noticed that Jiraya was leaning up against a tree nearby. As he put his feet on the ground and ran his fingers through his hair he heard the old man chuckle.

"I didn't realize you were so shy around the ladies." Itansha didn't say anything, but gave the old man a withering glare, which caused him to let out a short laugh. "Now don't be that way, I just wanted to get to know the man who was teaching the son of a dear friend. How was I to know you would be so anxious about these things?"

Itansha started to reply, but what Jiraya had said struck him. "Wait," he said, "You knew Naruto's parents?" Here, Jiraya's face became serious.

"Yes," he began as he took a seat beside him on the bench. "I was quite close with the boy's father, and became fond of his mother quickly. Those of us who knew them were devastated when they passed." For a moment Itansha could see a deep pain in the older man's eyes. "I would have liked to be a part of the kid's life, but my work keeps me out of the village more often than not. My work is too important to hand off to someone else, and taking a baby on the road just wasn't a good idea."

Itansha took that in and nodded. Raising a child was no easy thing, and it would only be more difficult while traveling constantly. "Life on the road is a hard one indeed," he said.

"It is, and my work is far too dangerous to involve a child, especially one as precious as Naruto." Jiraya sighed and shook his head. "That kid has so much pressure on him, and he doesn't even know why. It's so unfair, and I wish things could have been different for him. When Old Man Hokage told me about you, I had to rush back to make sure everything was okay."

"The Hokage told you about me?" Itansha quirked a puzzled brow at this.

"Yeah." Jiraya pulled out a scroll from his vest and waved it. "He sent me a report that told me what was happening. I usually trust his judgment, but I had to be sure you weren't a danger to the kid myself. He mentioned that you know some interesting things, and I'd like to talk to you about those sometime."

"Okay," Itansha wasn't sure what else to say. He returned the scroll to his vest before he went on.

"That will have to be some other time. I have to get back to what I was doing before I came back here." He stood from his seat and turned, holding out his hand. Itansha rose, picking up his bag and offered his own hand. The two men shook hands and Jiraya gave him a smile. "I'll be back in town in a few months for a regular check in. When I get back I want to talk to you about something, a job if you are interested. Until then, take care of Naruto. He's more fragile than he lets on."

Itansha nodded, and the two parted ways. It didn't take him long to get back to the apartment, and when he returned he found Naruto asleep on the couch. He took a moment to throw a blanket over the boy, and began cooking dinner for the two of them. He had a lot to think about that night.

(0o0o0o0)

Kakashi was not entirely sure how to feel about his 'reassignment' to the academy. True he had been in and out of ANBU over the last few years, always being asked to take on gennin teams as a jounin instructor and squad leader, but he'd never found a single squad that had been able to live up to his harsh standards. He'd taken leave from the black ops division of the ninja ranks a few times over concerns for his mental health, and once was pulled by request of his friends in the ninja ranks, many of those he'd met in the academy for the short time he'd been there. His skills, however, kept him in high demand over the years, and had brought him back into the ANBU as a captain, instructor, and even as a solo operative a few times in the last decade.

By order of the Hokage, Kakashi was now on permanent retirement from the ANBU corps, and was not to rejoin in the future. While he could understand the desire for one of the jounin elite to take on teams of genin, he couldn't fathom the reason for a permanent ban on black ops duty. He was good at it, and his services were always in demand with the limited manpower since the Third War and the Kyuubi Incident. Kakashi wasn't really sure he'd be good material for teaching anyway, he'd never really been a child himself and there was a lot of baggage trailing behind him that he never seemed to really sort out over the years.

He wondered idly if he'd be able to really teach a bunch of snot nosed brats anything about ninja life without screwing them up. His feet lead him faithfully to the door to the faculty office where he was to meet with one Umino Iruka. Iruka would be his 'handler' for this strange assignment. Per the Hokage's request, Kakashi would spend the next three months observing academy classes, assisting with lesson planning, and eventually the direct instruction of the children after a certain point. Then, he would have to give a report to the Hokage, and new assignments would be determined from there, with the provision that he would be testing academy graduates on a rotation for the next three years.

It truly stumped him what this was supposed to do for him, but orders from the Hokage were absolute, so Kakashi found himself knocking on the faculty office door – an hour and a half late. Luckily for him, the students were out on a break period at that time, so Iruka was waiting for him with an irritated look on his face. The two had met before, and if Kakashi remembered correctly, he had given Iruka the advice that lead to him becoming a teacher in the first place. He decided not to bring that up unless things got dicey between them, which he did not think was that unlikely considering his habits.

Once inside the room, Iruka's irritation abated and they started going over the plan for his observations. "I think it would be best if you remained out of sight for a while. The kids will act differently if someone new is in the classroom, and I would like you to get a good look at their typical behavior before revealing you to the class." Kakashi nodded and shuffled through some of the lesson papers that had been prepared for the day's classes. He was a bit disappointed to note that the curriculum seemed less rigorous than he remembered it. "There are a few places that would be easy enough for you to hide without expending a great deal of chakra, I'll show you one that has a good view of the room." Kakashi nodded again.

He just knew this was going to be a pain in the neck. He hadn't much liked children when he was their age, much less now. It also occurred to him that Iruka was head of the class that included a lot of clan heirs, and two problem children. Uchiha Sasuke was the last surviving Uchiha within the walls of Konoha, and with what he knew about the boy from observation was that he was withdrawn and sullen. He had a strange complex that made him feel superior to his classmates – a common occurrence with Uchiha – and a drive to become stronger than his brother, no mean feat considering Itachi's career had been on par with Kakashi's own at the time of the massacre. There was also Uzumaki Naruto, a grim reminder of just about everything Kakashi had lost in the last decade and more.

Kakashi was no stranger to anxiety, and the thought of dealing with either of those two on a regular basis was causing him some distinct discomfort – not that he'd admit it. Once in an adjacent room with a good view into the classroom, Iruka left him to enter the classroom and stand in his customary place behind the teacher's desk. After only a few minutes a bell rang, and soon after a flood of miniature hellions poured through the doors to take seats. The first to arrive had been Uchiha Sasuke, with his usual dour expression already in place. The last two to arrive were Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, who seemed to be talking quite easily with one another. Given what Kakashi knew about both children, that was a bit surprising.

Just before class could start, another adult came into the room, a silver haired man about Iruka's age wearing his headband as a bandana. He carried himself with an air of arrogance that Kakashi could almost smell. His entire demeanor reeked of disdain, and with his near perfect recall Kakashi identified him as Chuunin Mizuki. The day and lessons preceded, and Kakashi found himself picking apart the lessons as much as he was observing the behavior of the students. It was obvious that that having two instructors for the class was intended to help keep them from causing too much trouble and to make sure all the children could be adequately instructed.

Beyond the most apparent problems with the lessons, there were a few things off that started bothering Kakashi as the day went by. At the end of the day, he waited until Mizuki and the children had all gone before entering the classroom to speak with Iruka. "Well Kakashi-san," the chuunin asked as Kakashi leaned against the blackboard with his arms crossed, "What did you think about the students and the lessons?"

Kakashi closed his one eye and thought hard back on the things he'd seen, and two things stuck out in his mind. "Most of the lessons were much as I expected them to be, though I'll be honest, I believe the materials covered in the class are a little watered down compared to when I was here. I also see some room for improvement in regards to practical training."

Iruka nodded while he sat at his desk, he was organizing a few test papers and going over some of the next day's lessons as he listened. "I expected that," he said, "The academy budget doesn't allow a lot of wiggle room on practical instruction. I'd love to be a bit more hands on for some of the lessons, but it's hard to find the funds for materials." He leaned back in his chair and slung an elbow over the back of the chair, turning to Kakashi. "The curriculum in peacetime is much less intense than during wartime. To be honest I'm kind of glad that they don't have to deal with that kind of stress so early."

Kakashi mentally conceded the point and preceded with the more pressing issues he'd noticed. "There were a couple of things I saw today that bothered me a bit." Iruka raised an eyebrow, but seemed eager to hear his opinion. "One thing I've noticed is that there seems to be some pretty clear bias in the classroom, most of the clan heirs are treated with a great deal of leniency compared to clanless and civilian students." The look the teacher gave him told him that this wasn't new information. "Especially Uchiha Sasuke."

Here Iruka sighed quite heavily. "I'm quite aware." He shuffled through the papers on his desk and pulled out a sheet with Sasuke's name on it. "While I try to be as fair as possible with the students regardless of their status or circumstances, I can't control what the other teachers do when I'm not around." He dropped the sheet of paper, a test, back down on the desk, "Saksue is a whole other matter entirely. There's so much pressure from the administration to make sure he's ready for shinobi life, and even with the distrust the clan was subject to, a lot of people seem to want to help him succeed."

"If you ask me," Kakashi said, "He should be subject to harsher criticism than his peers." Iruka's shocked face met him when he looked up from where he was staring out into space. "I know first hand what being called a genius does to a child's mind. I'm also no stranger to trauma, and it's effect on a child's mind." Iruka grimaced, sucking air through his teeth. "He's pushing himself harder than any of the other kids, and it's for reasons that none of the other kids are going to understand. With all the adults fueling his ego, I can guarantee that it will lead to problems in the long run."

"I'm not qualified to speak on it, and I can't do more than I already am without risking my position." Iruka fiddled with the scar that spanned the bridge of his nose. "What was the other thing you were concerned about?"

Kakashi took a moment to choose his words carefully, as he suspected Iruka might not take his next comment well. "I'm concerned about the attitude Mizuki brings to the classroom. I've seen him do some things that concern me about his teaching methods." As he spoke, Iruka's face took on a slightly confused and defensive cast. Kakashi held up his hands in a placating gesture, "I know you two have been friends since your academy days, but I saw him do some things I'm not sure were appropriate and something about his demeanor makes me uneasy."

Iruka shook his head, still looking a bit tense. "I know Mizuki isn't the easiest person to get along with, but I've known him for a long time. He wouldn't do anything inappropriate with the children and he takes his job seriously." Kakashi narrowed his one visible eye a bit, but said nothing. "He has his issues, but he's a professional."

Kakashi shrugged, "If you say so." He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned towards the doors. "Other than that, the kids were typical for their age. Snot nosed and bothersome." Iruka snorted out a quick laugh in agreement. Kakashi just waved, "See you tomorrow Umino-san."

"Try not to be late this time Hatake-san"

Kakashi said no more, but his next stop would be predictable to anyone who knew him well. It was well past dark when he left the cenotaph that night.

(0o0o0o0)

Kakashi hadn't been the only one observing things during class at the academy that day. In fact, for the past week Yamanaka Ino had been doing a lot of observing. Normally she would have focused all of her attention on Sasuke whenever it wasn't required by the lessons, and sometimes even then. Ever since the encounter with that merchant boy, and her father's comments on that day, Ino had been paying attention to other people in her class. She still watched Sasuke a lot, but lately she had been seeing things she had previously chosen to ignore.

She had become torn over the week, her logical observations pulling her one way and her emotions tugging in the other. On one hand, Uchiha Sasuke was handsome and cool. He rarely ever got flustered and his emotions seemed to be tightly controlled. He was well groomed and physically fit in ways that she couldn't help but notice, and these were the things that had fueled her admiration of him in the past. On the other hand, she had noticed recently that there were things that Sasuke did which made her question the kind of person she had always thought he was. His aloofness had always seemed cool to her, but the more she watched his interactions with the other girls – she had a hard time with her emotions at these times – and the way he treated the boys in the class, the more she realized it wasn't as attractive as she had first thought.

She had always assumed that his loner attitude was just a front, and that with the right application of womanly charm he would drop it and be charming like the princes in the old storybooks. Unfortunately, she had realized sometime during the week that there was no front being put on. Or the cold, aloof demeanor was not part of any front that he was putting up. The more she watched, the more she had to accept that his coldness was not hiding some fragile soul that a woman could just worm out of him. He had not once, not even when he was alone – such that she could tell – ever drop that cold expression and standoffish attitude. While she still found him quite handsome and cool, it wasn't quite the same now that one of her fantasies had been shattered. She silently cursed her father for making her notice these things, but she knew deep down that she would have noticed sooner if her pride and stubbornness hadn't been in the way.

Another person she'd been watching was Naruto. He'd been quite different lately, and it was a shock to see him sit so still and pay so much attention in class. It was evident that he was still confused by a lot of what the teachers said, and his fidgeting never really stopped, but he hadn't made any trouble for the teachers or the rest of the class for days. To her great surprise, he had even answered a few questions correctly since his change in behavior. She had come to discover that Naruto wasn't stupid so much as he just didn't have a mind for words and numbers. If someone took the time to show him something in detail he could actually grasp it quite handily and proved to be able to work quite hard.

For example, he had been spending a lot of time with Hinata lately, which had come as a bit of a shock to everyone in class. One of the more belligerent of the boys in their class, a bulky kid from a civilian family, had been making fun of them and started reaching for Hinata with obvious intent to push or strike her. The clan children knew not to mess with the other clan kids, the consequences would be harsh in many cases if something bad were to happen, but she supposed civilian kids weren't taught the ins and outs of clan interactions. Before the bigger boy could even touch her, Naruto had stepped in and executed a textbook taijutsu arm-bar take-down. Not only had he been worst in the class at taijutsu before, she was certain he'd been skipping classes the day they'd learned that move.

After the incident Ino had taken the time to talk to Hinata about it. She had paired up with the pale eyed girl for one of their kunoichi class assignments afterward and probed her on the matter. As they sat practicing their paper fan signaling, she began talking in the most idle and bored tone she could muster. It helped her family was well acquainted with the Nara clan, and she was easily able to emulate Shikamaru from the time they'd spent at family functions together.

"So Hinata," she had started, "I've never seen Naruto do something like that before. Who would have known he was so protective?" She had to fight to contain her astonishment when Hinata blushed bright red. The girl's fan nearly dropped out of her hand and she fumbled with it a bit before answering.

"Um..." she hesitated as if unsure what she should say but took a breath and continued. "Naruto-kun asked me for help with his chakra control a few days ago, and since then he has been asking me for help with a lot of things." Her blushed deepened, which worried Ino a bit because she'd never seen anyone that shade of red before. When it faded she said, "I've also been giving him some advice on his taijutsu, even though I don't use the academy style I was able to help him get better at it."

Ino's mind churned with that information. She had never been called a genius, but she was still one of the smartest people she new. Books and numbers weren't her strong suit like Sakura, but she had what her mother called 'intuition'. She had a good sense for people when she wanted to use it. She could admit it caused her to be overly judgmental sometimes, but it had served her well in the past. Now that she was using it and gathering the data, she realized that informal hands on instruction had done for Naruto what years of formal academic training hadn't. That could mean a lot of things, but Ino knew that no one who was as stupid as she had thought Naruto to be could get those kinds of results. The rest of that class had passed in relative silence as their fans twitched and flapped, but Ino could only barely concentrate on it as she kept piecing things together.

Two days later, on the day Kakashi was observing the class, Ino had witnessed Naruto ask someone other than Hinata for help. It was already unusual for students to ask each other for help during classes, most of them spoke with their parents or shinobi acquaintances for help after classes were over, but Naurto was going to other students to get help. She supposed it could make sense given that he had no parents, but she had thought he would at least know some ninja that could help him out after classes were out. Instead, when he was having trouble with his shuriken and kunai target practice he walked up to Shino and asked him point blank to give him tips.

Ino saw the first visible reaction Shino had ever made – in her memory – when his eyebrows shot from hovering above his sunglasses to somewhere just below his hairline. He hesitated for a few moments, but shrugged it off and gave Naruto some practical advice and a quick demonstration of the differences in their throwing technique. She then watched as Naruto's accuracy went up by at least ten percent. By the final period of the day, Ino was ready to do an experiment. She had been paying close attention to classes and what Naruto was having trouble with, and it so happened that Mizuki had assigned them all slightly different logic puzzles to be completed before the end of the day.

She completed her puzzle with little difficulty, only getting stuck for a few seconds before grasping the answer. She then turned her paper in and took a covert glance in Naruto's direction. As she expected, his face was contorted in confusion and frustration. He began to look around at the other students in the class, first to Shikamaru sleeping on his desk, then to Sakura who was happily finishing up her paper and making obvious attempts to get Sasuke to notice.

Ino took a few steps up past her seat and stood next to Naruto's desk. He gave her a questioning look, and with a tiny smirk she leaned over and whispered a quick run down of the tricks used in the puzzle. She made sure to simplify the explanation down to the bare bones so that it was easy to understand. She didn't wait for any response, but walked back to her seat and watched him out of the corner of her eye. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments before he looked back down at his paper.

Then she saw his eyes light up and his pencil hesitantly start to scratch at the paper. It was slow, and he almost didn't make it in time, but he had solved the puzzle with the basic information she'd given him. He was so excited to turn in his paper that he missed the almost angry look Mizuki gave him when he slapped it down on the desk in front of him. Ino wondered what could have made Mizuki that angry with Naruto, since he'd caused no trouble for the last week, but brushed it off as trivial. Naruto was a notorious prankster and it had only been a week since his change in behavior. Surely a lot of people still didn't like him for all the trouble he'd caused over the last few years.

As the final bell rang to signal the end of school, Ino left the academy with a lot on her mind.

(0o0o0)

A/N: Well, another chapter is up to code for me. I've been doing some editing of the old chapters to fix some continuity and consistency issues. Between that and trying to plot out where the story goes from here, it's a bit difficult to get the writing in when I want to. I've also been working on another Naruto Fanfiction that might go up in a few months, but I'm not sure about that right now.

I also have been working on my own original stories, so hopefully I will be getting published before too long. If I do get published, and you guys are interested in reading my original work, I can let you know where to find that story in a later update. I've also begun offering my services as a beta reader. If you write for any of the fandoms that I am familiar with, and need someone to help out, I am available.

Anyway, I appreciate your feedback, so let me know what you think!

~AQ


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